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What is there in it?” 










Hidden Mines; 

AND 

How to Find Them 


CONTAINS 

THE INFORMATION CALLED 

1-OR BY THE ORDINARY BUSINESS MAN, WHO IS INTERESTED 
FOR BUSINESS REASONS ONLY, 

IN 


Mines, Metals and Ores 



Buffalo N. Y. 

The M. Rogers Publishing Co 





Copyright by 
W. Thos. Newman, 
1895 . 





PREFACE. 

My object in attempting this work, is to 
provide a little practical information, on a 
subject, of great interest to many who have 
little or no knowledge of the matters treated 
herein ; and who have neither the time, nor 
the opportunity, to undertake the study, 
necessary to an understanding of the great 
number of more scientific and more compre¬ 
hensive books, now in print. 

I have endeavored to give, in as simple 
language as possible, an insight into the en¬ 
ticing business of searching for and exploit¬ 
ing Mines, carefully avoiding such matters 
as are of purely scientific value, and con¬ 
fining myself to those likely to influence 
people who are engaged in prospecting, or 
interested in Minerals, from commercial 
motives only. 

The use of scientific terms has been 
avoided where possible, and when used, care 
has been taken to explain their meaning 
and application. 

In short this work is intended for the 
benefit of the business man, the investor, the 
ranger, the settler, and those generally, who, 
if given a little knowledge of Mines and 
Mining, might be induced to turn that 
knowledge to practical account. 



4 


PREFACE. 


The first part proper, deals with rocks, 
giving a general idea of how they are 
formed and altered, and how mineral de¬ 
posits of value to commerce occur in them, 
with the names and characters of rocks 
commonly met with in mining sections. 

The third part sketches the means em¬ 
ployed to determine, or identify, the differ¬ 
ent ores and minerals, with a list of all 
known elements and their symbols. 

Part four contains a description of each 
of the ores of the metals, of use as such in 
the arts, with a knowledge of how they are 
tested by simple means, and the methods 
employed in their treatment on a commer¬ 
cial scale. 

The fifth section describes non-metallic 
minerals; or those used for purposes other 
than the extraction of their metals; as at 
present utilized, and contains also, a concise 
description of the various gems and precious 
stones, and how they may be identified. 

The last section is a medley of facts, and 
hints, on various matters likely to interest 
anyone engaged in mining, or desirous of 
becoming so, and there follows a very com¬ 
plete glossary confined to mining terms and 
phraseology. 

W. TIIOS. NEWMAN. 

Toronto, December 31st, 1894. 


CONTENTS. 


PART I. 

Introductory. 

Importance of exploring for metals. Pros¬ 
pectors as a class. How mines grow. Where 
hidden wealth lies. 

PART II. 

Rock Formations and Ore deposits. 

Necessity of a knowledge of rocks, not neces¬ 
sarily a scientific knowledge. How rocks 
are made. Stratified Rocks. Metamorphic 
rocks. Eruptive rocks. Likely formations 
to contain Metal. How ores are deposited. 
Veins and other ore bodies. The vein that 
pays. Iron bearing rocks. Names and de¬ 
scriptions of rocks, usually found in metal 
mining sections. 


PART 111. 

How to Distinguish Ores. 

Trials of hardness; Streak; Tenacity; Mag¬ 
netism ; Specific Gravity; Crystallization; 
Simple uses of the Blowpipe. Explanatory 
notes. List of Elements, with symbols, and 
atomic weights. 


PAGE. 


9-12 


13-23 


24-34 





CONTENTS. 


6 


PART IV. 

DESCRIPTIONS OF NATIVE METALS AND ORES. 

Gold; how found and extracted. Antimony 
ores; how to test them. Silver ores; and 
their treatment. Lead ores; with their com¬ 
mercial value. Platinum; its chief charac¬ 
teristics. Mercury; where found. Copper 
ores; their value and treatment. Zinc ores; 
and associations. Nickel and Cobalt ores. 

Tin ores; and formations found in. Bis¬ 
muth. Cadmium. Iron ores, with their 
various uses. Manganese ores, and how 
useful. Molybdenite; how distinguished. 
Graphite (Blacklead). Tellurium. Rare 
Metals. 35-73 


PART V. 

Other Minerals of Commercial Value. 

Aluminum. Bauxite. Alum Shale. Cryolite. 
Orthoclase. Kaolin, or China Clay. Fire 
Clay. Potter’s Clay. Marl. Meerchaum. 
Asbestos. Actinolite. Manganese Spar. 
Fluorspar. Apatite. Gypsum. Marble. 
Lithographic Limestone. Hydraulic Lime¬ 
stone. Heavy Spar. Rock Salt. Soapstone. 
Monazite. Common Mica. Lithia Mica. 
Sulphur. Phosphorus. Arsenic. Natural 
Gas Coal. Peat. Petroleum. Asphaltum. 
“Mineral Wool.” Pitchblende. Natural 


Paints. Infusorial Earth. Amber. 74-90 

precious Stones. 

Diamond. Sapphire. Emerald. Opal. Gar¬ 
net. Zircon. Quartz Gems. Rutile.91-99 




CONTENTS. 7 

PART VI. 

Practical Pointers. 

Error in rejecting samples. How to select 
samples for assay. The Chemist’s informa¬ 
tion not sufficient. Prospector’s “ Kit.” 
Samples for comparison. Describing a pros¬ 
pect. Cost of Railway. Howto obtain cap¬ 
ital. Choosing a route. What to do on 
making a discovery. When Mining should 
begin. The proper way to develop. The 
diamond drill. Selling small lots of ore. 
Essentials to successful mining. Risks of 
the business. The investor in stocks. Meas¬ 
ures of ores, earth, etc.; how they are com¬ 
puted. Relative weights of metals. Weights 
and volumes of ordinary metals. Water re¬ 
quired for quartzmilling. To calculate the 
water-power of a stream. To temper steel. 

To solder, or weld. To case harden. Table 
of melting points of metals. Weight and 
value of wood as fuel. Common alloys. 
Cement for cast-iron. Approximate cost 
of mining and treating ores, and of ma¬ 


chinery . 100-128 

Glossary of mining terms.129-138 

General Index .139-146 





ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 


“What is there in it?”..Frontispiece 

Section of Rock Formation. 23 

Cuts of Pans. 36 

“Dolly”. 39 

A Banded Vein. 99 

Hidden Placer . 103 

Galena Veins. 104 

Shafts, Adits and Levels of Beaver Silver Mine. 106 

“ Hard Luck Mine” . 108 

The Diamond Drill Core-Bit . 113 

Drilling. 114 













PART I. 


PROSPECTING AND PROSPECTORS. 

To one who has any taste for the freedom 
and sport of the untrodden wilderness, and 
the pure, ever-changing delights of “ Nature 
undefiled ” (and who has not, then is his taste 
perverted); every day of exploring brings 
its quota of enjoyment, hope springs eternal, 
the hardest labor brings with it such added 
health and strength as make it a pleasure, 
and the explorer at sixty, is as young in 
heart and feeling, as the ordinary business 
man at forty. 

In no other way, and in no other business, 
can fortunes be made, which in the making 
necessarily enrich the community at the 
same time, and in no other calling can for¬ 
tune be realized in a day, without causing 
misery and loss to others. 

When the successful prospector finds a 
valuable mine, he at once adds the present 
value of the find, to the wealth of the nation. 
When he converts that mine into the medium 
of exchange which supplies his wants, and 
receives possibly a large sum therefore, he 
gives value for what he receives, and may 
enjoy his gains with a clear conscience. 


10 prospectors’ peculiarities. 

The opening of mines in any locality, means 
a direct and lasting benefit to all the dwell¬ 
ers therein ; to the laborer—work, and good 
wages; to the farmer—an added market; 
therefore, the business of searching for and 
developing mines, is an honorable one, and 
the prospector takes rank as a public bene¬ 
factor. 

Prospectors are, as a rule, unusually active 
men, both mentally and physically, and hard 
workers when in the field. The greatest 
trouble with the majority of them is this: — 
they are attacked by a disease commonly 
called “ swelled-head.” The symptoms are 
the same in each case, the victim all at once, 
vseems to be impressed with the mistaken 
idea, that each and every vein or deposit, 
found by himself , must necessarily be of im¬ 
mense value, and that a fortune is due the 
finder forthwith, nay; in many cases the 
discoverer seems to become firmly and hon¬ 
estly imbued with the idea, that he is already 
in indisputable possession of millions; and 
no amount of argument, or reasoning by his 
friends, can dispossess him of this halluci¬ 
nation, while ofttimes, his friends seem also 
to share his delusion. Nothing, apparently, 
can cure this disease, save only, the remedy 
used on the mad canine—cutting off his tail 
close to his ears—and this, financially inter¬ 
preted, is what cures the majority. They 
continue in their conceit until, weary exper- 


NEVER REFUSE A CASH OFFER. 11 

ience and a growing scarcity of cash, teaches 
them that their wealth, (which may in a 
sense be genuine enough) is not in the shape 
of legal tender. 

The truth is, not one find in one hundred 
is worth more than it cost, until hundreds, 
and often thousands, of dollars be spent on 
its exploitation. 

The prospector who understands his busi¬ 
ness, will never refuse a cash offer for his 
prospect, (received before proper develop¬ 
ment) if the same be sufficient to reward 
him for his time and labor. 

Everyone who has had any experience of 
prospecting, and handling mining prospects, 
will recognize the truth of the saying, “that 
anyone may find a mine, but it takes a clever 
man to sell it,” and as the business of min¬ 
ing becomes each year more universally un¬ 
derstood, it will become more and more 
essential, that prospects be developed into 
mines before they can be disposed of to the 
satisfaction of the prospector, whose expecta¬ 
tions are always in advance of any possible 
realization. In searching for gold or other 
mines, it is well to remember, that the first 
requisite is quantity. New processes and 
improved machinery, tend to closer saving 
and more economical work, and what is de¬ 
sired today is large bodies of low grade ore. 
Many a mine is paying dividends at the 
present time, that a few years ago could not 


12 


HOW MINES GROW. 


be worked at all, because the ore was of too 
low grade to be profitably treated by the 
methods and appliances then in use. Every 
year is liable to see the tendency in this 
direction grow, and therefore deposits of low 
grade ore should be carefully looked after. 

The chemist and the scientific mechanic 
are constantly finding new uses for different 
materials. That which is worthless to-day, 
may commercially, be very valuable to-mor¬ 
row, and as all these materials must come 
from the earth, each new appliance, or new 
application, becomes a matter of interest to 
all who deal with minerals. 

Unlike most deposits of wealth, a mine 
grows larger the more it is used, and more 
valuable, as the value is taken from it, and 
in this connection there is a hint to pros¬ 
pectors. Most individuals of this class de¬ 
velop the roaming habits of gypsies, and 
with this a propensity for seeing riches a long 
distance away, much better than in the im¬ 
mediate neighborhood. There is no better 
prospecting field anywhere, than in the im¬ 
mediate surroundings of proved mines, 
where there is untried ground. Right under 
the feet of those who follow beaten paths, 
which have been walked over for years, lies 
“ hidden wealth.” 


PART II. 


ROCK FORMATION AND ORE DEPOSITS. 

The first requisite to success, in searching 
for mineral deposits of commercial value, is 
a knowledge of what rocks are likely to have 
in them ; mines containing certain ores, and 
under what conditions the ore occurs, in 
these rocks. 

It does not follow, that a scientific know¬ 
ledge of the names, or chemical constituents, 
of which rocks are formed, is necessary, al¬ 
though such an education is very desirable 
and valuable. To be able to recognize the 
rocks and minerals on sight, and a general 
knowledge of the manner in which they 
occur, is of greater value. There are between 
two hundred and fifty and three hundred 
distinct kinds of rocks; recognized and 
named by petrologists, and divided into 
three classes, as explained below ; according 
to their origin. 

Rocks are seldom definite compounds, but 
the various minerals are distributed in them 
in varying proportions, and in endless com¬ 
binations each change making more or less 
difference in their appearance; and one 
rock often changes so gradually into another 
kind, that no hard and fast lines can be 
drawn between them. Thus, Granite will 


14 


ROCK FORMATION. 


in a few yards become Gneiss, and the 
Gneiss in turn give way to Mica Schist, or 
some other rock, and so on. 

The formation of rocks is going on con¬ 
tinuously. The action of rain, frost, and 
many other agents of destruction, is slowly, 
but constantly wearing away the existing 
Rocks; the eroded material, (sand, clay, and 
vegetable matter picked up en route), being 
carried down by water and ice, ground finer 
and finer as it goes, until it reaches still 
water, and is deposited, in more or less 
irregular shapes. 

The water of a river flowing into the 
Ocean, for instance, is constantly bringing 
down with it, particles of all kinds of matter, 
some floating with the currents, others in 
actual chemical solution. On arriving at the 
•Ocean, and all along the route, these atoms 
are deposited in endless combinations, those 
of highest specific gravity, being generally 
the first to drop, the lighter being carried 
further on. The minerals in solution, ming¬ 
ling with others in the salt water, are some of 
them precipitated and help to bind the rest. 

The currents of the Ocean, are also carry¬ 
ing their share, perhaps, lime from the 
Coral Islands. Again the Ocean is continu¬ 
ally encroaching on its shores, whole sec¬ 
tions of the shore line disappearing in a few 
years, or even months, the loosened ma¬ 
terial being carried off to be deposited, in 


METAMORPHIC ROCKS. 


15 


varying forms elsewhere. This process 
going on without intermission, day after 
day, year after year, results in layers of 
tremendous thickness being formed, great 
pressure is developed, and in course of time, 
the whole is solidified into a series of mas¬ 
sive beds. 

These beds, or layers, form what are 
called the Sedimentary Rocks. They consist 
of Limestones, Sandstones, Conglomerates, 
etc., as they are formed from shells and 
corals; sand ; or boulders and gravel. These 
lie in alternate layers called Strata. 

Other Rocks have been ejected from great 
depths in a fused state, and in most cases 
have cooled very slowly. These are called 
Igneous, or Eruptive Rocks. They are prob¬ 
ably formed from original Rocks, which have 
been melted by subterraneous heat, and 
have been forced up by gases under enorm¬ 
ous pressure, through fissures, formed by 
the expansion of the gases rending the crust. 

Trap Dykes, and Granites, are of this 
origin. 

In many cases, over large areas, the whole 
of the Sedimentary Rocks have undergone 
great changes, and have been perfectly or 
partially crystallized. These are called Met- 
amorphic Rocks. The change is due to 
heat, which was not great enough to cause 
fusion, but which, was probably continued 
for ages. 


ORE DEPOSITS—VEINS. 


16 


These rocks are generally much contorted 
and fractured, and the fissures have been 
filled by the action of heated vapors, or 
heated springs, holding metals in solution, 
and by condensation and evaporation, and 
perhaps electrolyptic action, dropping their 
contents; or by ejection of molten matter 
from below. Thus these rocks more often 
contain deposits of the metals of Commerce, 
than rocks of another origin. This brings 
us naturally to sections of rocky country 
likely to contain mines. 

Where a section shows the rocks to have 
been much disturbed, and tilted at all angles; 
where Trap Dykes, and Quartz, and Spar 
Veins, are frequently met with ; there, the 
prospector may hope to succeed. The soft, 
schistose character, of- the rock in places is 
favorable. A discoloration, or burnt appear¬ 
ance, is generally caused by the decomposi¬ 
tion of mineral in the rock, and most de¬ 
posits of metal, are more or less softened 
and rotted on the surface, the decomposed 
matter being known as Gossan ; (iron oxide). 

Ore deposits, may be divided into four 
kinds, according to their modes of occur¬ 
rence. These are called veins or lodes; 
pockets, placers, and beds, and veins occur 
also of four kinds. 

Veins are most frequently met with, and 
are known as: Fissure Veins; (often called 
true veins.) 


POCKETS; PLACERS. 17 

These are cracks or fissures, caused by the 
contraction of the Earth’s surface, or by the 
bursting of the crust from internal pressure. 
They cut right through different strata at 
any angle, frequently at right angles to the 
strike, or nearly so. Contact Veins; these 
run with the strike but between two distinct 
formations namely at the “ contact.” Gash 
Veins; are veins usually of small extent, 
surrounded and terminated on all sides by 
the same formation, and frequently are filled 
with galena. 

A Vein also, sometimes consists, of a 
number of small veins or stringers, running 
parallel to and at all angles with one another, 
with rock between which holds pockets of 
ore, and which is sometimes impregnated 
with ore. This is called a Stockwerke. Oc¬ 
casionally a vein will be found lying in a 
horizontal position and is then known as a 
'‘blanket” vein. 

Pockets; are masses of ore of any size, 
from a few tons upward, more or less as 
may happen, usually unconnected with each 
other, though often on the same strike, and 
sometimes connected by small seams, and 
indications of ore. 

Placers; are deposits of gravel carrying 
ore, or metal; generally applied to gold dig¬ 
gings. 

Sometimes secondary deposits occur, as 
for example Bog ores; these are spread out 


18 


THE VEIN THAT PAYS. 


a foot or two deep, over larger or smaller 
areas, and may be called Beds. 

A vein is considered by miners, more 
likely to be permanent, and productive, if 
the walls, and especially the footwall, be 
separated from the vein matter, distinctly, 
by a soft talcose casing or gossan, or by clay, 
(called the selvage,) and a contact vein also, 
is likely to be permanent. Deep mining 
shows, that veins continue pretty much the 
same below, as they appear on the surface, 
where the surface can be studied for some 
distance, although the. metal contents or the 
gangue, may vary considerably. Often a 
vein, improves in richness as it is followed 
down, and particularly is this the case on first 
working, and down to the point of satura¬ 
tion, viz.: — the distance to which surface 
water has been able to penetrate, which may 
be five or ten fathoms. Veins, are often 
enriched at the point of contact where two 
veins meet, or where the vein is cut by a 
Trap Dyke. Also a vein that is poor or 
barren while cutting one formation will 
sometimes prove productive where it inter¬ 
sects another kind of Rock. Many veins 
contain their value in what is known as 
<4 paystreak,” the ore being a band in the 
vein, sometimes in the centre, sometimes on 
one side. 

While rich ores are much sought after, 
large quantities of low grade pay best. 


IRON BEARING ROCKS. 


19 


Iron bearing rocks are, preferably, the 
oldest geological formations, the ore beds 
being thicker, and larger in these rocks. 
Mica, or hornblende gneiss, or schists, some¬ 
times with a crystalline limestone band on 
one side, is the most likely formation for 
iron ore, for manufacture into the metal, 
and the beds are usually conformable to the 
strike and dip. The cleavable varieties and 
Ironstones, are found however, in both the 
Crystalline and Stratified Rocks. 

The distance from the centre of the Earth 
to the surface is equal to 3,956 miles. In 
comparison our highest mountains are merely 
insignificant ant-hills; our grandest canons 
but plow furrows. The temperature is con¬ 
stant the year round, at about one hundred 
feet in depth, and at lower levels invariably 
increases about 1° Fah. for each 60 feet of 
descent, to the limited depth reached in 
ordinary mining. 

VARIOUS ROCKS OF ORDINARY OCCURRENCE. 
ARGILLITES: 

Clayslates, breaking into thin even 
slabs. 

CONGLOMERATES: 

Any rock composed of coarse frag¬ 
ments, or pebbles, cemented together. 
When these are angular it is called; a 
Breccia. When the fragments are 
rounded ; a Puddingstone. 


20 


DESCRIPTIONS OF ROCKS. 


CHALK: 

Soft, white limestone. Red “chalk” 
so called; is clayey oxide of Iron. 
French “ chalk ” is a soapstone. 

CHERT: 

Flint or Hornstone, occurring as nod¬ 
ules in Limestone. 

DOLOMITE: 

Carbonate of lime, containing carbon¬ 
ate of magnesia; strictly speaking, in 
equal proportions. Effervesces in acid 
on heating. 

DIORITE : 

Triclinic feldspar, and hornblende, 
with or without quartz. A tough rock, 
light gray, to blackish green in color. 
—Eruptive. 

DOLERITE: 

(Basalt, Trap.) Coarse grained. Color, 
dark green to brownish black.—Erup¬ 
tive. 

GRANITE: 

Quartz, Feldspar and Mica, with no 
appearance of layers or cleavage, used 
for monuments, etc., taking a fine 
polish.—Eruptive. 

GNEISS: 

Like Granite, but in layers, used for 
building, flagstones, etc.— Metamor- 
phic. 

GABBRO: 

Cleavable Labradorite; (Lime - soda 


DESCRIPTIONS OF ROCKS. 21 

Feldspar) and Pyroxene. Color, dull 
red, gray to black; of Igneous origin. 

HYDROMICA SCHIST: 

Green to white in color; sometimes 
dark gray; and soft. Hydrous Mica 
often with quartz. Foliated, splitting 
into thin wedge shapes. Smooth 
greasy surface, and pearly lustre. 

ITACOLUMYTE: 

Flexible sandstone—a schistose granu¬ 
lar quartz with mica or talc. (Diamond 
bearing in Brazil.) 

JASHER: 

A flinty quartz of dull red, yellow, or 
green color, and breaking smooth like 
flint. 

LIMESTONE : 

Carbonate of Lime, or Calcite; gener¬ 
ally contains some clay or sand. Color, 
cream or nearly white; blue, brown, 
and black. Usually contains fossils. 
Crystalline limestone forms the various 
marbles. Effervesces with a drop of 
hydrochloric acid. Sedimentary; or 
if crystalline; metamorphic. 

MICA SCHIST: 

Mostly Mica, with much quartz and 
some Feldspar. Divides easily into 
wedge-shaped slabs. Color, from sil¬ 
very to black. Crumbles readily. Meta¬ 
morphic. 


22 


DESCRIPTIONS OF ROCKS. 


PORPHYRY: 

A massive rock, showing crystals dis¬ 
tinct from the matrix. 

QUARTZITE: 

Indurated Sandstone; that is, com¬ 
posed of quartz, but not showing 
grains. 

SANDSTONE: 

Merely a solidified bed of sand, gener¬ 
ally quartz sand, sometimes contains 
mica, clay or fossils. Used for grind¬ 
stones; building, etc. 

SERPENTINE : 

Massive, easily cut with a knife, and 
greasy to the touch. Dark green, to 
yellowish, and mottled. Composed of 
silicate of magnesia, and a little iron. 
Takes a high polish, and is called 
“ marble.” 

STEATITE-SOAPSTONE: 

Consists of Talc. Massive. Feels soapy. 
Gray to green and white. 

SYENITE : 

A rock composed of Hornblende, and 
Feldspar without quartz. Flesh colored 
or grayish white. 

TALCOSE SCHIST : 

Slaty Talc. Mica Schist is often mis¬ 
taken for Talcose Schist, but does not 
contain Talc. 

TR AP : 

The common term for, basic Igneous 
rocks. 


SECTION OF ROCK FORMATION. 


23 


Igneous rocks frequently overflow, on the 
surface, but sometimes the fluid matter does 
not reach the open, until by the erosion, or 
planing away of the overlying strata, it is 
exposed, appearing often as a chimney. 
Faults, veins, tilting and all such phenomena 



Scale, 1 ,000 Feet = 1 Inch. 

a.—Crystalline limestone, c.—Limestone, e.—Trap overflow, t.—Slates. 

F.—Quartzite, o.—Granite (Eruptive), m.—Gneisses (Metamorphic). N.— 
Tilted Slates. R.—Contact Vein. P.—2nd Vein. L.—1st Vein. V.—Newest 
Vein. x.—Stringer ^diagrammatic.) 

are purely accidents on a large scale. An 
idea of their occurrence may be had by sup¬ 
posing a confined heap, composed of alter¬ 
nate layers of sand, gravel and clay, to have 
a body of quicklime in the centre and the 
lime to become mixed with water. The 
effect would be to fissure the heap in all di¬ 
rections, and cause portions to be lifted 
bodily, while other parts would naturally 
fall in, and the slaked liquid lime would fill 
all crevices. 
























PART III. 


HOW TO DISTINGUISH ORES. 

Qualitative Analysis: —is the deter¬ 
mination of the elements contained in an 
ore or mineral, and shows what the different 
ingredients are, but does not show the 
amount of each. 

Quantitative Analysis : — shows not 
only the nature of a compound, but also the 
amount, or percentage, of each constituent. 

The ores of the metals are distinguished, 
and recognized, by their hardness; color; 
streak ; lustre ; malleability ; specific grav¬ 
ity ; crystallization; and chemical reactions; 
minerals having a definite chemical com¬ 
position. The first five tests, are those 
which are of most practical use to the pros¬ 
pector, and most easily made in the fields. 

Hardness: —This quality is particularly 
useful, in distinguishing many ores, (such as 
Copper Pyrites from iron) and in deciding 
the possible value, of pebbles as gems, and 
many non-metallic minerals. This is the 
quality of resisting abrasion, not resistance 
to blows. The scale runs from 1 (repre¬ 
sented by Talc); to 10 (represented by the 
Diamond). 


SCALE OF HARDNESS. 


<2 


o 


SCALE OF HARDNESS. CHAPMAN’S SCALE. 


1 . 

2 . 


3. 


4. 


5. 


6 . 


8. 

9. 

1 (). 


Foliated Talc. 1. Yields easily to the 
finger nail. 

Selenite. 

2. Does not yield to nail, 
or scratch a copper 
coin. 

Calcite. 

3. Scratches a coin, but is 
also scratched by coin. 

Fluorite. 

4. Not scratched by coin, 
and will not scratch 
window glass. 

Apatite. 

5. Scratches glass feebly ; 
easily cut by a knife. 

Feldspar. 

6. Scratches glass easily; 
and is hard to cut with 
a knife. 

Quartz. 

Topaz. j 

7. Cannot be cut by a 
knife. 

1 

Corundum, i 

- Harder than flint or quartz. 

Diamond. ] 

1 


Color :—This is readily seen by daylight, 
and the terms used to designate it are 
metallic: as lead-gray; iron-black ; etc., non- 
metallic: as blue, bluish ; gray, grayish ; etc., 
etc. All ores showing bright red, blue or 
green colors externally, should be examined 
carefully. 

Streak: —Both the external color, and a 
surface that has been scratched, should be 
examined. The latter is called the streak, 


26 HOW ORES ARE TESTED. 

and frequently shows a marked difference 
from the outside color. This is best exam¬ 
ined by drawing a small three cornered file 
across the sample, and then across the 
thumb, or on a streak-plate. 

Malleability: —This is the quality of 
being flattened out under the hammer with¬ 
out breaking. As a rule, any ore that is 
soft, and easily cut, is likely to be of value, 
and if it will stand being hammered out, it 
is valuable. Also a mineral is said to be 
brittle, when easily broken, or sectile, when 
it can be sliced with a knife. 

Lustre: —The property of reflecting 
light, or shining. The kinds of lustre are: 
—vitreous orstoney ; metallic ; pearly ; silky ; 
resinous (or like gum); adamantine. 

Many ores tarnish on exposure, and this 
serves, in some cases as a guide, in deter¬ 
mining the ore. 

Diaphaniety :—The property of allowing 
light to pass through, as; transparent, when 
an object is distinctly seen through the sub¬ 
stance ; translucent, when light is trans¬ 
mitted but objects are not seen. 

Specific Gravity*. — Is the weight of a 
piece of mineral compared with an equal 
bulk of pure water, which is taken as a 
standard. This is difficult to ascertain in 
the woods, requiring a delicate balance. 
Weigh a small piece of mineral in the ordi- 


HOW ORES ARE TESTED. 27 

nary manner, and then suspend it by a hair, 
in distilled water at 60° and weigh again, 
subtract the second weight from the first, 
and divide the first by the difference—result 
is Sp. G. Usually the weight of a substance 
is a good guide to the amount of metal con¬ 
tained in it. 

Magnetism :—Many ores are more or less 
magnetic. Black Iron ore (Lodestone) is 
considered to be the only one having de¬ 
cided attraction, but Nickeliferous Pyrrhotite 
is sometimes so magnetic as to form a per¬ 
fect natural compass. Some minerals will 
only attract the needle after being heated, 
the iron in these being changed to the mag¬ 
netic oxide by ignition. 

Crystallization : — While Form and 
Structure are of great service in the deter¬ 
mination of minerals, crystallography is a 
complete study in itself, and does not fall 
within the scope of this work. Those who 
desire to pursue the study of mineralogy, 
should procure a copy, of the Manual of 
Mineralogy and Lithology, by Professor 
James D. Dana, or the larger work: A New 
System of Mineralogy by Messrs. J. D. and 
E. S. Dana. 

The list in the following chapter, com¬ 
prises most of the ores, from which metals 
are obtained for commercial purposes, at 
present, with the exception of those used in 


28 


THE BLOWPIPE. 


small quantities, or for other reasons, not of 
much interest to the ordinary prospector or 
business man. 

Although the amount of metal in pure ore, 
is given, practically ores are never found 
sufficiently free from impurities, to come up 
to the proper standards and due allowance 
should be made. The specific gravity varies 
accordingly. 

Note, that very few ores, look in the least 
like the metal they contain, even the native 
metals in a natural condition being tarnished 
and often alloyed. 

A drop of Hydrochloric Acid serves to dis¬ 
tinguish a carbonate, by causing an efferve¬ 
scence, but not always, without heating the 
substance, during the test. 

The Blowpipe: —This is a most useful 
aid in determining the different minerals. 
A brief description only, need be attempted 
here. Those who desire to follow up the 
hints given, are referred to Professor Chap¬ 
man’s “Blowpipe Practice” a standard 
work on the Blowpipe. 

The essentials are; a blowpipe, (which is 
merely a tapered tube ending in a very small 
orifice, by which the flame of a spirit lamp, 
or candle, may be concentrated on a minute 
quantity of the substance to be examined, 
in powder) pieces of charcoal; grease lamp ; 
spirit lamp; alcohol; borax; carbonate of 


BLOWPIPE TRIALS. 


29 


soda; platinum and iron wire; bone-ash, a 
few pieces of glass tube (about \ inch in 
diameter,) and a pair of small pointed 
forceps. 

The Blowpipe may be had from any 
jeweler. A little practice, is necessary to 
maintain a steady stream of air from the 
mouth. 

In making most tests the mineral is pow¬ 
dered and laid, either with, or without, an 
excess of soda, in a hollow in a piece of firm 
charcoal. The substance proves infusible, 
or fuses without yielding metal, sometimes 
vaporizes entirely, and again, leaves a coat¬ 
ing on the charcoal, or a globule of metal. 
The flame, in some cases is tinged various 
colors, by different minerals, (this should be 
noted against a dark background.) 

The coating or deposit left varies for dif¬ 
ferent minerals and the colors change as the 
support cools. These deposits are best ex¬ 
amined on a smooth piece of plaster paris, 
used in place of the charcoal. 

To test for water, place a little powdered 
mineral in the lower end of a test tube, 
(closed at one end) and heat; the moisture 
if any, will be found condensed at the upper 
part. 

A piece of mineral the size of a pin head, 
is held in the forceps to try the fusibility. 

Sulphur, Arsenic, and Selenium com¬ 
pounds, give off their peculiar odors. Arsenic 


30 


THE MICROSCOPE. 


smells like garlic. Selenium, like decaying 
horseradish. 

To detect Sulphur, moisten a little min¬ 
eral and soda into a paste; fuse and place 
on a silver coin. The sulphur, if present, 
will stain the coin black. 

Gold, silver, Copper, Tin, and Lead; yield 
malleable beads, either with or without soda. 

Platinum, Iron, Nickel, and Cobalt, give 
infusible metallic grains. Bismuth and 
Antimony, brittle beads, with deposit. Mer¬ 
cury, Cadmium, and Zinc, are volatilized, 
the two latter leaving heavy sublimates. 

Manganese colors abead of borax, (formed 
on platinum wire (No. 27); by making a 
small loop on one end and fusing the borax 
into it, and then taking up a very small 
particle of ore;) a violet color. Chromium, 
a green color. 

Strontia, and Lithia, color the flame, deep 
carmine red. 

The Microscope.—B y an examination of 
very thin slices of rock under the micro¬ 
scope, the presence, or absence, of many 
minerals is ascertained. The word Macro¬ 
scopic is used to signify an examination, 
made without the use of a microscope, or 
with only a pocket lens. 

The following abbreviations are used 
throughout this work: BB.=Before the 
Blowpipe. H. = Hardness. G. = Specific 
Gravity. 


LIST OF ELEMENTS. 


31 


The following table contains all the ele¬ 
ments at present known to the chemist, and 
all are found in minerals, The atomic 
weights indicate the proportions in which 
they combine chemically. The symbols 
are the abbreviations used in stating the 
composition in all text-books. 


LIST OF ELEMENTS, WITH THEIR SYMBOLS 
AND ATOMIC WEIGHTS. 


Aluminum.. . 

.. Al. 

27. 

Hvdrogen . ... 

. . .H. 

1. 

Antimony.. . . 

.Sb. 

120. 

Indium . 

...In. 

113.4 

Arsenic. 

.. .As. 

74.9 

Iodine. 

. . . .1. 

126.5 

Barium. 


137. 

Iridium. 

. .. Ir. 

192.5 

Beryllium .. . 

...Be. 

9.1 

Iron . 

..Fe. 

55.9 

Bismuth. 

. . .Bi. 

207.5 

Lanthanum. . . 

. La. 

138. 

Boron. 

... B. 

10.9 

Lead. 

. .Pb. 

206.4 

Bromine. 

... Br. 

79.8 

Lithium. 

...Li. 

J . 

Cadmium. 

. .. Cd. 

111.7 

Magnesium. . 

..Mg. 

24. 

Caesium. 

. ..Cs. 

58.7 

Manganese .. . 

. Mn. 

54.8 

Calcium ... 

... Ca. 

39.9 

Mercury. 

• •Hg. 

199.8 

Carbon. 

....C. 

12. 

Molybdenum . 

. .Mo. 

96. 

Cerium. 

.. .Ce. 

141. 

Nickel. 

. . Ni. 

58.6 

Chlorine.... 

. . .Cl. 

35.4 

Niobium. 

. .Nb. 

93.7 

Chromium. . 

. .. Cr. 

52.5 

Nitrogen . 

.. .N. 

14. 

Cobalt. 

, .. Co. 

58.7 

Osmium. 

..Os. 

191. 

Columbium (see Niobium.) 

Oxygen. 

..O. 

16. 

Copper . 

. .Cu. 

63.2 

Palladium. 

. .Pd. 

106.2 

Didymium . .. 

...Di. 

142. 

Phosphorus ... 

. . .P. 

31. 

Erbium. 

... Er. 

166. 

Platinum. 

.... Pt. 194 3 

Fluorine. 

...F. 

19.1 

Potassium . . . 

...K. 

39. 

Gallium. 


69.9 

Rhodium. 

. .Rh. 

104.1 

Germanium . 

. ..Ge. 

73.3 

Rubidium . . . . 

. .Rb. 

85.2 

Glucinum (see Beryllium.) 

Ruthenium ... 

..Ru. 

103.5 

Gold. 


196.7 

Scandium .... 

...Sc. 

44. 










































32 ' ACID AND BASIC ROCKS. 


Selenium.Se. 78 9 

Silicon .Si. 28. 

Silver.Ag. 107.7 

Sodium.Na. 23. 

Strontium.Sr. 87 3 

Sulphur.S. 32. 

Tantalum.Ta. 182. 

Tellurium.Te. 125. 

Thallium.Tl. 203.7 

Thorium.Th. 232. 


Tin.Sn. 117.4 

Titanium.Ti. 48. 

Tungsten...".W. 183.6 

Uranium.U. 240. 

Vanadium.V. 51 1 

Ytterbium.Yt. 172.6 

Yttrium.Y. 89. 

Zinc.Zn. 65.1 

Zirconium.Zr. 90.4 


The chemist groups the various ores, 
according to their chemical characters, as: 
Sulphides; Ars jnides; Borates; Carbonates ; 
etc. As this work is intended, primarily, 
for the use of miners and businessmen, who 
are only interested, in the commercially 
valuable substances the ores contain, and 
care nothing about other constituents, save 
as they may affect those values; I have 
grouped each under the head of the metal, 
or other valuable ingredient, and have con¬ 
sidered it better, also, to leave out any 
special mention of the undesired contents of 
the ore, except where the same affects the 
commercial value. 

Acid rocks, or slags; are those which con¬ 
tain a high percentage of free silica; (60 to 
80 per cent.) Basic; those slags or rocks, 
which contain little (not more than 45 or 50 
per cent.) or no silica, in a free state. In 
smelting, those ores which contain a very 
large percentage of silica, require to be 

















miners’ mineralogy. 


33 


neutralized, by mixing an alkali (.such as 
limestone) in the furnace, while with basic 
ores, the opposite course, is pursued. 

Miners call any mineral substance found 
in nature, which yields anything of com¬ 
mercial value, an ore. While, speaking 
mineralogically, Galena is always a lead ore, 
when rich in silver, the miner calls it a 
silver ore. More properly, ores are a com¬ 
bination of one or more metals, (called in 
this connection bases) with one, or more 
acids, or mineralizing agents;—thus: Galena 
consists 86.6 per cent, of lead, with 13.4 per 
cent, of the acid sulphur. Very often, this 
is associated with some silver-sulphide, and 
again may contain zinc sulphide, or the ore 
may be a mixture of the above, with sul¬ 
phides of copper, and iron. Again, we have 
iron in the form of sulphide, (Magnetic 
Pyrites, or Pyrrhotite) and also as a bisul- 
• phide, when it is non-magnetic. In this 
latter case we have an ore, of which the 
valuable constituent, is the sulphur. 

Minerals are often rendered difficult to 
treat, from the presence of some substance 
foreign to the ore, as for instance; a very 
small amount of Titanic acid, in iron oxides; 
which will effectually prevent their being 
utilized as a source of the metal by present 
processes. The presence of arsenic, replac¬ 
ing sulphur, in gold ores which carry con¬ 
siderable quantities of iron; renders their 


34 


DELETERIOUS SUBSTANCES. 


treatment much more difficult, and often 
unprofitable. Antimony and Zinc are fre¬ 
quently very troublesome. The presence of 
these minerals causes the quicksilver to 
“flour,” or “sicken,” in which condition a 
coating forms over it, and prevents the gold 
from amalgamating, thus causing a loss of 
more or less metal in the tailings. 

In testing any ore by the means here out¬ 
lined, make the trials in the order men¬ 
tioned, and allow a margin for slight varia¬ 
tions, which will be found to exist almost 
invariably, even in samples from the same 
vein, blown out together. With the de¬ 
scription of the ores will be found the 
simplest test or tests known, to distinguish 
or identify each, but they will only serve 
the purpose intended, when mixed with a 
sufficient portion of common sense. 


CHAPTER IV. 


NATIVE METALS AND ORES. 

GOLD. 

One cubic foot of Gold is worth, $363,- 
561.96. Standard gold or silver, equals 900 
parts of pure metal, and 100 of alloy, in 
1,000 parts of coin. 

The largest nugget of gold ever found 
was at Ballarat, Australia, in June, 1858. 
It was 20 x 9 inches; weighed 2,166 ounces, 
and contained $41,883 value of gold. 

Pure gold is estimated at 24 carats fine. 
Thus gold having one twenty-fourth part 
copper, or silver, would be 23 carat gold. 
Equal parts gold and another metal, would 
be 12 carat gold. All native gold, contains 
more or less silver, and sometimes other 
metals. Average of Canadian : between 85 
and 90: Californian, 87 and 89: Australian, 
90 and 96 per cent. gold. 

Crystallizes in the insometric system, but 
crystals are seldom found. 

Color: —Is the only, yellow , malleable, 
mineral found in a natural state. Many 
minerals, such as pyrites, are mistaken for 
gold, but gold need never be mistaken for 
anything else. H.==2.53. G.=19.3.; vary¬ 
ing with amount of alloy. B. B. gives 
malleable bead. Is not touched by simple 


36 


SEARCHING FOR GOLD. 


acids, but dissolves in Aqua Regia, which 
consists of one-fourth nitric to three-fourths' 
hydrochloric acid. 

Gold also occurs as a Telluride (combined 
with Tellurium); sometimes of a bronze- 
yellow color, and again of a lead-gray color. 

In searching for gold, examine first the 
gravel bars, and the holes in the rocks, 
forming the beds of streams. Never waste 
time in looking in the upper part, of the 
gravel bed ,—get down to the bottom. If the 
gold is there at all, that is where it will be 
found, along with platinum, iridosmine, 
magnetite, pyrite, copper ores, blende, zircon, 
heavy spar, monazite, and various crystals. 

Carry with you a bottle of quicksilver. 
After picking out the coarse pebbles (care¬ 
fully examining some of them by breaking 
them), place a shovel of the finer stuff, 

FOR GRAVEL. FOR QUARTZ. 



Fig. 1. Fig.2. 

Scale, 1 Inch = 1 Foot. 


The best size and shape for a “ pan ” is shown in the cuts. Fig. i is the 
ordinary miner’s pan for gravel washing. Fig. 2 is made of wood, or iron 
enameled white, and is better for quartz. 

in a shallow circular pan; (a frying pan, 
free from grease, will do very well, on 
a pinch) and with a circular swing, wash 
it with water. A little practice will enable 
anyone to retain the finer, heavier, sand, 






WASHING GOLD GRAVEL. 37 

and allow the lighter coarse stuff, to slip 
over the edge of the pan into the stream. 
When nothing remains, but a little black 
sand, examine with pocket lens for colors of 
gold, then put in another shovel of gravel, 
and repeat the process. Finally, after a 
number of shovels of gravel, taken from as 
many places as possible, have been so 
treated, put in some quicksilver, and thor¬ 
oughly shake and rub the fines together, 
then pour the quicksilver into a piece of 
buckskin, and squeeze it through the buck¬ 
skin back into a clean dish, to be returned 
to its bottle. Place the remainder on a 
shovel, and heat to redness. If you have 
anything malleable left it is gold, together 
with some silver, and any lead in the ore. 

Next examine all quartz veins. The 
softer the quartz in appearance, the better 
the chance of its carrying gold. Though 
the writer has seen specimens of quartz, as 
clear and as hard looking as glass, contain- 
ing gold, it is a reasonable theory that when 
gold is present, it usually interferes with the 
perfect crystallization of the quartz. Quartz 
is called the “ mother of gold,” and all gold, 
so far as known, is derived from quartz 
veins. Those veins cutting talcose schists, 
or clay slates, are the most favorable, rather 
than mica schist, or gneiss. The gold is 
frequently so fine, as to be invisible except 
to a powerful microscope. 


38 


TRYING QUARTZ. 


A small pestle, and mortar, are necessary, 
to crush the quartz to fine sand, which may 
be treated as above. 

Another and better method of trying 
quartz is, to fill a piece of glass tubing, an inch 
in diameter, one-third full of the powdered 
rock, and shake it well with quicksilver. 
This is very convenient, and by marking the 
space occupied by a known weight of ore, a 
very close estimate may, after some prac¬ 
tice, be made, of the quantity of free milling 
gold, the quartz in a given vein carries. Or 
the ore may be dissolved in Aqua Regia, 
and a solution of copperas added, when the 
gold will be precipitated as a brown powder, 
which, on being rubbed, will show the 
metal. 

Mica, and sulphide of iron, (Pyrite), are 
most often mistaken for gold, but these are 
brittle minerals. 

In known gold bearing territory, it is ad¬ 
visable to have an assay, of the quartz of all 
well defined, persistent veins, as gold is fre¬ 
quently so fine, as to be invisible, even to a 
strong pocket lens. 

“Gold is where you find it,” is an old 
saying amongst miners, and no man may 
say it will not be found in a given locality; 
where the geological formations; subcrystal¬ 
line slates, and schists; occur. 

Very few veins carry visible gold, and 
they are seldom the most valuable. A free 


WORKING A RICH REEF. 


39 


milling quartz, (by which is meant, an ore 
free from arsenic, or any other refractory 
substance, and amalgamating by simple 
contact with mercury,) carrying as low as 
$5.00 per ton, in gold, will pay handsomely 
if the vein is large, easily accessible, 
the metal evenly distributed, and easily 
milled. 

A prospector should work a find of aurifer¬ 
ous gravel, to some extent, before offering 
it for sale. He should sell a quartz lode, 
before working it, if he can find a pur¬ 
chaser, after sufficient development to show 
it as a fair prospect. 

The following sketch shows a simple and 
cheap means of working in a small way, a 
rich quartz lode, carrying coarse gold freely. 
It is known as a “ Dolly,” and two men with 
this device, will crush enough ore each 
week, to give a very satisfactory “clean up” 
by Sunday. 



A.—Cushion bars. 15.—Hollowed block. C.—Sluices. D.—Chain-hook. 
E.—Spring pole. F.--Dolly. G.—Iron Shoe. 




40 HOW TO MAKE A “DOLLY.’’ 

To make a “Dolly,” cut a square hole, 
(in a hollow basin in the top of a solid block, 
or section of a log firmly planted on the 
bank of a stream), six inches wide; fit in 
wrought iron bars, six inches long, one- 
half inch thick, three inches deep, and 
firmly secured. Cut away a portion of one 
side, to which attach a spout leading over 
the higher end of a sluice-box. The sluices 
may be covered on the bottom, by strips of 
blankets, and should have cross-bars called 
riffles, nailed across the bottom sufficiently 
tight to hold fine sand. After having all as 
solid as may be, dump in some quartz, 
broken comparatively small, “swing your 
Dolly,” and turn in more water at intervals, 
as you get “ choked.” 

Placer mining is carried on by hand, 
washing with a pan, or with a “cradle,” (a 
small trough on rockers); or by the use of 
streams of water under pressure, washing 
down the gravel, through sluices. This 
latter is called hydraulic mining. 

Gold ores are treated in different ways, in 
all cases being first reduced, by stamping or 
grinding, to a fine pulp. 

First.—In Freemilling; the ore is simply 
crushed under stamps, wet, and the pulp is 
passed over copper plates, with surfaces 
covered with mercury. The gold attachs 
itself to the quicksilvered surface, in the 
form of amalgam, that is combined with 


HOW GOLD IS EXTRACTED. 


41 


quicksilver, and is scraped off at intervals, 
retorted to get rid of the mercury, and the 
residue melted into bars. 

In the Black Hills, with well arranged 
mills, ores carrying but $4.00 per ton are 
worked successfully, and in California, 
under exceptionally favorable conditions, 
ores having but $1.00 of gold contents. The 
ore in this case being quarried rather than 
mined. 

By panning, or horning down, a pulver¬ 
ized sample .the free gold may be.seen, and 
by amalgamating, by rubbing with quick¬ 
silver, you may judge if the ore be free- 
milling. 

Secondly.— By concentration ; most gold 
ores carry other minerals, such as the sul- 
phurets of iron and copper, or lead, also zinc, 
and sometimes tellurides, selenides, or anti- 
monites, with in nearly every instance more 
or less silver. In these cases the ore is con¬ 
centrated, that is, the rock matter is got rid 
of by washing, and the sulphurets obtained 
in a more or less “clean” state. For this 
purpose Frue vanner machines are chiefly 
used, two old style, or one improved ma¬ 
chine, being usually allowed to each battery 
of five heavy stamps. 

The principle of the Frue vanner concen¬ 
trating machine is, an endless rubber belt, 
four feet wide, running up an inclined table, 
and dipping on the under side into a tank of 


42 REFINING CONCENTRATES. 

water, where the mineral is washed off. At 
the head of the the table jets of water, play¬ 
ing on the belt, wash back the lighter sand, 
and the water flowing down the incline 
washes it away. In addition there is a 
steady shaking motion from side to side, or, 
at right angles, which materially assists in 
the separation of the mineral from the 
gangue. 

The concentrates can be sold to refining 
companies, (the most profitable way, in 
many cases), or may be further treated, 
and the gold obtained by chlorination, or 
smelting. 

In chlorination, the concentrates are 
placed, after roasting, to expel sulphur, ar¬ 
senic, etc. ; in gas-tight tubs, or barrels, 
holding two or three tons each, and chlorine 
gas is generated (by the introduction of 
chemicals; sulphuric acid, manganese, oxide, 
and salt,) which is allowed to permeate the 
ore, and forms chlorides of gold, and silver. 
The metals are afterwards precipitated separ¬ 
ately, the solutions run off, the metal col¬ 
lected, dried, melted, and cast into bars. 

Or, the sulphide ores may be reduced by 
roasting, and amalgamating in pans, or by 
smelting direct. We have last year to re¬ 
cord another new process, which appears to 
be successful in treating mispickel ores; 
namely, those carrying a great deal of ar¬ 
senic. This is known as the Carter-Walker 


ANTIMONY ORES. 


43 


process, by which the ore is roasted in closed 
chambers, the acids saved, and the gold ob¬ 
tained by vaporizing mercury. 

Colonel Harvey Beckwith, the widely 
known expert on gold mining and milling, 
makes a favorable report on this process, 
which may possibly solve the difficult prob¬ 
lem, of how to treat ‘mispickel ores, carry¬ 
ing gold. 

ANTIMONY. 

This metal is used, chiefly, as an alloy. 
It is a brittle silver-white metal obtained 
from its ores, which occur in the primary 
rocks, frequently with silver, lead, zinc, and 
iron ores. G. = 6.7. 

The ore from which most of the metal of 
commerce is obtained, is the sulphide; 

Stibnite. Grey Antimony. 

Trimetric, commonly with fibrous appear¬ 
ance. Color and streak, lead-gray. Lustre, 
shining. Tarnishes. Brittle. H.=2. G.= 
4.5.—4.62. Contains 71.8 per cent, of an¬ 
timony; with 28.2 per cent, of sulphur. 
B.B. Is volatilized, with dense white fumes. 
7.1 cubic feet=one ton. This ore is soft, 
and will melt in the flame of a candle. 

native —Generally massive, occasionally in 
rhombohedral crystals. Color and streak, 
tin-white. H.=3—3.5. G. = 6.6-—-6.75. 
Pure Antimony; often with silver. B.B. 


44 


SILVER ORES. 


volatilizers, tinging the flame green, and 
leaving a heavy white deposit on charcoal. 
4.8 cubic feet in one ton. 

Compounds of Antimony and Silver, are 
often met with, and when rich in silver 
make a valuable ore. 

SILVER. 

Is a pure white metal, very ductile, harder 
than gold, but softer than copper. G.=10.53. 

The ores of silver are found in rocks of 
all geological ages, in any kind of vein 
below the coal measures. The ores are of 
many different kinds, and silver is found 
abundantly in many other ores, such as lead, 
antimony, zinc, and copper ores. 

native silver— only, is white in color, among 
ores of silver, though dark and dull on the 
surface, and has streak, silver-white and 
shining. Often tarnished brownish-black. 
Malleable; cuts with knife. Occurs in oc¬ 
tahedrons, arborescent shapes, or massive. 
H.=2—3. G.=10.1—11.1. Generally con¬ 
tains some copper, and sometimes gold. 
B.B. gives malleable bead. 

Argentite. Silver Glance. 

In dodecahedrons, and modifications, or 
massive. Color and streak, blackish lead- 
gray. Cuts with knife, slightly malleable. 
H.=2—2.5. G.=7— 7.4. Contains 87.1 
per cent, of silver, with 12.9 per cent, of 


SILVER ORES. 


45 


sulphur. A valuable silver ore. B.B. gives 
malleable bead of silver. 4.4 cubic feet 
make one ton. 

PYRARGYRITE. DARK RED SILVER ORE. 

Rhombohedral. Usually in crystals, some¬ 
times massive. Color, black to bright red. 
Streak, bright red. Lustre, brilliant. H.=2 
—2.5. G.=5.7—5.9. Contains 59.8 per 
cent, silver; with 17.7 sulphur; and 22.5 per 
cent, of antimony. Usually in crystals. 
B.B. gives bead with soda. 5.5 cubic feet 
weigh one ton. 

proustite. Light Red Silver Ore. 

Like Pyrargyrite. G.=5.4—5.56. Con¬ 
tains 65.5 per cent, of silver; with the an¬ 
timony replaced in part, or wholly, by 
arsenic. 5.8 cubic feet weigh one ton. 

Stephanite. Brittle black Silver. 

Trimetric; often in compound crystals, 
or massive. Color and streak, iron-black. 
H. = 2.5. G. = 6.27. Contains 68.5 per 
cent, of silver; 16.2 of sulphur; and 15.8 
of antimony. B.B. gives bead with soda. 
5 cubic feet weigh one ton. 

Dissolved in weak nitric acid, will silver 
a piece of clean copper. 

Cerargyrite. Horn Silver. 

Isometric. In cubes, or massive. Color, 
gray, green, or blue. Lustre, resinous. 
Streak, shining. Cuts like horn or wax, 
and on an outcrop looks like dirty cement. 


46 TREATMENT OF SILVER ORES. 

Melts in candle flame. Contains 75.3 per 
cent, of silver; and 24.7 percent, of chlo¬ 
rine. A valuable ore. B.B. gives bead 
easily. 

bromyrite, or bromic silver.— Silver and bro¬ 
mine. Bromine, 42.6 per cent. Silver, 57.4 
per cent. A common ore. 

There are many other ores of silver, but 
the above list comprises all the ores com¬ 
monly worked. 

Silver ores are treated by freemilling,' or 
direct amalgamation in pans, each charge 
being worked for several hours, through a 
series of pans. This method is applicable 
to Native Silver; Horn Silver, and certain 
forms of sulphides. The presence of such 
base metals as Iron, Copper, Lead, Zinc, or 
Antimony, interferes with the process when 
concentration, and sometimes roasting-mill- 
ing, or roasting the ore with salt, must be 
resorted to. 

Silver mining requires expensive plant, 
and large capital, with expert management. 

The simplest test for the presence of sil¬ 
ver is : to dissolve the ore in nitric acid, and 
pour in strong salt water. This throws 
down white flakes, and on exposing these 
to the sun, they will turn black if the ore 
contain silver. 

Have any ore suspected to contain silver 


SILVER IN LEAD ORES. 


47 


assayed. On an average, at least $10 per 
ton as mined, is necessary to constitute a 
paying ore. 

One cubic foot of Silver is worth $13,008.67. 

LEAD. 

native —Is a soft, bluish gray metal. Leaves 
a mark on paper. Malleable. B.B. fuses 
easily, and volatilizes, leaving a yellow ring 
on charcoal. Of rare occurrence. G.=11.85. 

Galena. Lead Sulphide. 

Isometric. In cubes, also granular, or 
rarely fibrous. Color and streak, lead-gray. 
Shining. Easily broken. H.=2.5. G.= 

7.25—7.7. Contains 86.6 per cent, of lead 
(when pure); 13.4 per cent, of sulphur; 
and from one or two to several thousand 
ounces of silver. B.B. covers charcoal with 
yellow deposit. If carefully treated, finally 
yields bead of lead. If bead be placed on 
a bone-ash cup, or a cavity in charcoal, filled 
with fine bone-ash, smoothly pressed in; 
and further treated, the lead will be ab¬ 
sorbed, and the silver obtained nearly pure. 
4.3 cubic feet weigh one ton. Galena is the 
chief source of lead. 

Minium. lead Oxide 

Color, red to yellow. Pulverulent. G.= 
4.6. B.B. yields bead of lead. Manufac¬ 
tured for the arts. 

Cerussite. White lead Ore. 

Color, white to gray. H. = 3.5. G.=6.48. 


48 


TREATMENT OF LEAD ORES. 


Contains To percent, lead, with oxygen, car¬ 
bonic acid and impurities. Artificially made. 

There are many other ores of lead, con¬ 
taining various amounts of silver, almost all 
of which, are found in association with gal¬ 
ena, some abundant in certain localities, 
others of rare occurrence. All are distin¬ 
guished at once, by specific gravity, and by 
yielding lead before the blowpipe. * 

Lead ores are valuable, in the proportion 
of their silver contents, but when worked 
for lead alone, should average not less than 
40 per cent, of metal. 

Lead ores carrying silver, are treated by 
concentration and smelting, or smelting 
alone. Like nickel, and copper, the first 
product or matte is frequently sold to refin¬ 
ers. The plant is necessarily costly, and all 
furnace operations depend for success, on 
skilful management by experts. Also, it 
is almost an essential, that a mixture of ores 
from different mines be made, and these 
must be carefully selected, and taken in 
certain proportions, which continually vary, 
for different ores. Fragments of lead ore, 
or heavy spar in crumbling magnesian 
limestone, depressions in a straight line, or 
the red color of the soil on the surface indi¬ 
cate lead veins, which are found in rocks of 
all ages up to the carboniferous, the largest 
being usually found in Silurian limestones 
overlying slates. 


PLATINUM.—SPERRYLITE. 49 

PLATINUM. 

Is a bright, white metal, heavier than 
gold. It is used chiefly for chemical and 
electrical apparatus. G.=21.15 when pure. 
native.— Color and streak, steel-gray. Lustre, 
metallic bright. Isometric, but seldom in 
crystals. Can be drawn out. Malleable. 
H.=4—4.5. G. = 16—19. Nottouchedby 
simple acids. Dissolves in Aqua Regia. 
Found in gravel, with gold, usually alloyed 
with other rare metals, and copper or iron. 
Derived from crystalline rocks. B.B. Infus¬ 
ible, and wholly unaltered; these qualities 
identify it at once. 2 cubic feet weigh one 
ton. 

sperrylite.— Color, tin-white. Lustre, bright, 
H.=about 7. G. = 10.6. Contains 56.7 per 
cent, of Platinum. Crystals very minute. 
Found only in the Sudbury section of On¬ 
tario; in detritus composed of gossan, and 
rock in a decomposed condition, apparently 
derived from seams of ferruginous mica 
schist, with some copper pyrites. 

The largest nugget of native platinum 
known was found in 1827, in the Ural 
mountains, and weighed 21 pounds. It 
measures 4x7 inches. 

MERCURY. 

Has a strong affinity for other metals, 
gold, silver, lead, etc., forming an amalgam. 
It is used to extract gold and silver; for 


50 


QUICKSILVER ORE. 


mirrors, barometers, etc., and largely in 
medicine. Commonly called quicksilver. 

native.— Bright, white, and liquid, at normal 
temperature, melting at 39°. G. = 13.6 at 
32°. Occurs in globules scattered through 
the gangue, derived from the sulphide; 
cinnabar.— In rhombohedral crystals, or mas¬ 
sive. Color, bright red, blackish or brown¬ 
ish. Lustre, unmetallic. Streak, scarlet- 
red. Crystals are nearly transparent. 
liver ore;— Is dull, of same color and streak. 
H.=2—2.5. G.=8.5 — 9. It is identical 

with the brilliant red pigment, vermillion. 
B.B. vaporizes. 3.6 cubic feet weigh one 
ton. Can be cut with a knife. Contains 86.2 
per cent, of mercury; and 13.8 per cent, of 
sulphur. Found in schists and slates, both 
the older rocks, and those of later age. 
Never found in quantity, in the more crys¬ 
tallized rocks, such as Gneiss. The mer¬ 
cury of commerce is obtained by distillation, 
although, it is sometimes dipped up in 
buckets, from fissures in the rocks contain¬ 
ing the ores. 

COPPER. 

Is a very tough, ductile metal, of a fine 
red color, taking a bright polish, but quickly 
tarnishing. Used largely in the arts, both 
alone, and in brass and other alloys, also in 
plating. Large quantities are now used in 
electric railway plant. 


NATIVE COPPER. 


51 


native.— Isometric, and tree-like forms. 
Color, copper-red. Malleable. Can be drawn 
out. H.=2.5—3. G.=8.84. Pure copper 

occurring in veins; in grains, and masses :* 
usually enriched where crossed by dykes. 
Sometimes accompanied by native silver, 
and occasionally spread out in floors. B.B. 
yields bead of copper, which shines brightly 
while hot, but becomes covered, on cooling, 
with black oxide. Dissolves easily in nitric 
acid. It is mined when yielding but one 
per cent, of copper. 

CHALCOCITE. COPPER GLANCE. 

Trimetric. In compound crystals, also 
massive. Color and streak, blackish to lead- 
gray, often tarnished blue, and green. H.= 
2.5—3. G.=5.5—5.8. Contains 79.8 per 

cent, copper; and 20.2 per cent, of sulphur. 
B.B. gives bead of copper. 5.7 cubic feet 
weigh one ton. 

BORNITE. VARIEGATED PYRITES. 

Isometric. Generally massive. Color, cop¬ 
per-red to pinchbeck-brown. Tarnishes 
rapidly. Streak, grayish - black, slightly 
shining. Brittle. H.=3. G.=5. Contains 
copper 55.58 per cent. ; iron, 16.36 per 
cent. ; with sulphur, 28.6 per cent.; but 
varies greatly. B.B. fuses to magnetic 
globule. Also called erubiscite. 

CH ALCOP / RITE. PYRITES. 

Dimetric. Generally in octohedral crystals, 


52 


COPPER ORES. 


or massive. Color, brass-yellow. Streak, 
greenish-black, dull. H.=3.5—4. G.= 
4.15—4.3. Contains 34.6 per cent, of cop¬ 
per; 34.9 per cent, of sulphur; and 30.5 per 
cent, of iron. Will not scratch glass. B.B. 
gives brittle bead. 7.6 cubic feet weigh 
one ton. Should carry not less than six per 
cent, of metal, as mined, to make a profit¬ 
able ore. 

TETRAHEDRITE. GRAY COPPER ORE. 

Isometric. In tetrahedral forms. Color, 
steel-gray, to iron-black, with streak in¬ 
clined to red. H.= 3—4.5. G.=4.5—5.12. 
Contains 9.10 per cent, of copper, but varies 
greatly, sometimes containing 10 per cent, 
to 30 per cent, of silver, with usually iron, 
zinc, and antimony. A valuable ore, and 
easily worked. B.B. gives bead of copper, 
or copper and silver. 6.6 cubic feet weigh 
one ton. Sometimes contains platinum. 
Cuprite. Red copper ore. 

Isometric. In octahedrons, or massive, 
sometimes earthy. Color, red, of various 
dark shades. Streak, brownish red. Lustre, 
adamantine. Brittle. H.=3.5—4. G.= 

5.85—6.6. Contains 88.8 per cent, of cop¬ 
per, with 11.2 per cent, of oxygen. B.B. 
gives bead of copper. 5 cubic feet weigh 
one ton. 

CHRYSOCOLLA. THE SILICATE. 

Cplor, bright green. Lustre, shining or 
earthy. G.2—2.4. Contains 30 per cent, to 35 


TO RECOGNIZE COPPER ORES. 53 

per cent, of copper, with silica. A secondary 
deposit, but sometimes valuable. B.B. with 
soda, gives a bead of copper. 
malachite. green carbonate. 

This ore is polished, and used for inlaid 
work, and even jewelry. Colors, blue or 
green, of varying shades (deep blue to light 
green). Streak, paler. Soft ore, dull in 
appearance. Contains 56 per cent, of cop¬ 
per; 14 per cent, of oxygen; 22 per cent, 
of carbonic acid; and 8 per cent, of water. 
Not important as a source of metal. B.B. 
colors the flame green, and quickly yields 
metallic copper. 8.2 cubic feet weigh one ton. 

AZURITE. BLUE CARBONATE. 

Color, deep blue. Sometimes transparent. 
Streak, bluish. Brittle. H. = 3.5— 4.5. 
G. = 3.5—3.85. Used only for ornamental 
purposes. 

Copper occurs, as arsenate, phosphate, 
vanadate, and in very many combinations, 
other than those described, which are the 
important ores to the miner. 

Native copper is recognized at once. The 
ores are distinguished mainly by lively col¬ 
ors, and nearly all turn bright green on ex¬ 
posure, and B.B tinge the flame green. The 
value of a find of any ore of copper depends 
on the quantity. The native metal veins are 
the paying mines, and always act on the 
compass. When the prospect of the deposit 


54 


SUDBURY NICKEL RANGE. 


being large is satisfactory, get an assay. The 
ores of copper may sometimes be shipped to 
advantage, after simple concentration, and 
are readily purchased by refiners. There 
are sev eral other ores, of little interest 
commercially. 

Copper ores are reduced, by smelting, 
after concentration by hand or machines, 
and in the case of sulphide ores, a prelimin¬ 
ary process of calcination, or roasting, is 
resorted to. 

NICKEL, AND COBALT. 
nickel.— Is a brilliant, white metal, which 
does not tarnish, and is very ductile. It is 
used chiefly as an alloy, and in plating. 
cobalt.— Is a lustrous, reddish-gray metal, 
very brittle, and sometimes granular—some¬ 
times fibrous. Is not used as a metal, ex¬ 
cept in plating, but mainly for the produc¬ 
tion of smalt, the blue coloring matter. 
Neither are found native. 

nickeliferous pyrrhotite.— From this ore is 
obtained much of the nickel of commerce. 
It is identical with ordinary magnetic pyrites, 
save that it carries the nickel. The nickel 
at Sudbury, Ontario, is derived almost en¬ 
tirely, from this ore, which is intimately 
mixed with copper pyrites, and often con¬ 
tains besides the nickel; cobalt; occasionally 
a little galena; silver, or gold ; and in at least 
one case, tin. Although the average nickel 


NICKEL AND COBALT ORES. 55 

contents of the ore, is less than 2-J per cent., 
it runs as high as 30 per cent., and even 40 
per cent., in certain samples. Anything 
over two per cent, in nickel will pay to 
mine, if in large quantities, diorite.— (a 
tough, hard, greenish to black colored, 
eruptive rock); appears to be the true 
nickel-bearig rock at Sudbury, and the de¬ 
posits of ore already discovered will supply 
all demands for the metal which are likely 
to be made for many years, while but a 
comparatively small section of the nickel¬ 
bearing area has been properly prospected. 

Other ores of nickel, of which some are 
found in the Canada range, are:— 

LINNAEITE. SULPHIDE OF COBALT AND NICKEL. 

Isometric. Generally massive. Color, pale 
steel-gray, tarnishing copper-red. Streak, 
dark gray. H.=5.5. G. =4.8—5. Contains 
when pure, 58 per cent, of Cobalt, generally 
replaced in part by nickel, with 42 per cent, 
of sulphur. B.B. yields no metal, but colors 
borax bead deep blue. 6.5 cubic feet weigh 
one ton. 

M ILLERITE. CAPILLARY PYRITES. 

Rhombohedral. Usually in needle-like 
crystals. Color, brass-yellow, to bronze- 
yellow, with gray tarnish. Streak, bright. 
H.=3—3.5. G.=4.6—5.65. Contains when 
pure; 64.4 per cent, of nickel, and 35.6 per 
cent, of sulphur. B.B. yields no metal. 
6.2 cubic feet weigh one ton. 


56 


NICKEL ANI) ARSENIC. 


COBALTITE. 

Isometric. Color, silver-white, with a 
reddish tinge. Streak, grayish-black. Brittle. 
H.=5.5. G.=6.63. Contains 45.2 per cent, 
arsenic; 19.3 percent, of Sulphur; and 35.5 
per cent, of cobalt; often with iron and 
copper. B.B. gives sulphur and arsenic 
fumes, with magnetic globule; with borax, 
a cobalt-blue bead. 

SMALTITE. COBALT GI.ANCE. 

Isometric. Occurs in many forms, often 
massive. Color, tin-white. Streak, dark 
gray. H.=5 5—6. G.=G.4—7.2. Con¬ 
tains from 22 per cent, each of nickel, and 
cobalt, to 44 per cent, of nickel alone, with 
50 per cent, of arsenic, and some iron. B.B. 
yields no metal. 4.7 cubic feet weigh one 
ton. 

NICCOLITE. COPPER NICKEL. 

Hexagonal. Generally massive. Color, 
copper-red. Streak, brownish-red. Lustre, 
metallic. H.=5—5.5. G.=7.3—7.7. Con¬ 
tains 44 per cent, nickel, and 56 per cent, 
of arsenic. B.B. yields no metal. 4.2 cubic 
feet weigh one ton. 

CERSDORFFITE. 

Color, steel-gray. Streak, blackish-gray. 
Lustre, bright. H.=5.5. G.==5.6—6.9. 
Contains 35 per cent, of nickel, (sometimes 
more); 45 per cent, of arsenic; and 20 per 
cent, of sulphur. 5 cubic feet weigh one 
ton. 


SOME NEW NICKEL ORE. 


57 


GARNIERITE. NICKEL SILICATE. 

Color, green. Streak, uncolored. Yields 
6 to 8 per cent, of nickel. Chiefly mined 
in New Caledonia; also found in Oregon, 
U. S. A. 

The following new ores of nickel are re¬ 
ported by Dr. Emmens, from Sudbury, 
Canada. 

FOLGERITE. 

Massive, with platy structure. Color, 
bronze-yellow. Streak, greyish-black. 
Lustre, metallic. H.=3.5. G.=(approx- 
imately) 4.73. Contains 32.87 per cent, of 
nickel. 

WHARTONITE. 

Color, pale bronze-yellow. Streak, black. 
Lustre, metallic. Tarnishes rapidly on ex¬ 
posure. H.=about 4. G.=about 3.73. 
Contains 6.10 per cent, of nickel. 8 cubic 
feet weigh one ton. 

BLUEITE. JACK’S TIN. 

Color, olive-gray to bronze. Lustre me¬ 
tallic. Streak, black. H. = 3—3.5. G.=4.2. 
Non-magnetic. Contains 3.5 per cent, of 
nickel. Named after Mr. Archibald Blue, 
Director of Ontario Bureau of Mines. 

ASBOLITE. EARTHY COBALT. 

Color, black or blue-black. Contains over 
20 per cent, of cobalt oxide. Occurs as a 
bog ore with manganese, iron and copper, 
and nickel. 


58 


SMELTING FURNACES. 


There are many other ores of nickel and 
cobalt, occurring rarely, or as products of 
other and more abundant ores. All occur in 
the lower formations, and cobalt ores, in¬ 
variably, are found in connection with nickel. 

Compounds of nickel before the blowpipe 
yield no metal, but leave a bead of borax, 
gray with specks of reduced nickel. 

Cobalt and nickel ores are first smelted 
into a rich concentrate or matte, and then 
refined by the use of acids; in most cases. 
The ore as in copper, is when a sulphide, 
first roasted to expel the greater portion of 
the sulphur. The refining, when done with 
acids is a slow and costly process, but new 
methods are being successfully adopted, 
and it is probable that this will, in the near 
future, be done by electrolysis. 

The mining and treating of these ores, 
requires large capital, and great skill is ne¬ 
cessary to obtain economical results. 

Smelting furnaces were formerly, built of 
common brick, and lined with fire-brick, 
whether blast furnaces, or reverberatory fur¬ 
naces; but the American water jacket fur¬ 
nace, is to-day the ideal blast furnace, being 
built of cast iron, wrought iron, or mild 
steel, protected by an outer wall, or jacket, 
of the same material, through which a stream 
of water constantly circulates, thus protect¬ 
ing the furnace, so that, except for an acci¬ 
dent, nothing compels a stoppage, unless 


TIN ORES. 


59 


for a general overhauling of the plant, at 
long intervals. The molten metal, and slag, 
is allowed to run constantly, as fused, into a 
water protected well, (on wheels, easily re¬ 
moved without stopping the operation), and 
thence, the metal, sinking by its greater 
gravity, is tapped into moulds or pots, while 
the lighter slag flows steadily from a spout 
at the top, and is removed in iron pots on 
wheels, or sometimes granulated by allow¬ 
ing it to drop into water. 

By the introduction of a powerful blast, of 
hot or cold air, a great saving of fuel is 
effected, and a much greater capacity ob¬ 
tained. A furnace has lately been intro¬ 
duced which utilizes the sulphur contained 
in pyritic ores as fuel, thus making the ore 
smelt itself. 


TIN. 

Is a silvery white metal, of high lustre, 
and malleable, but not ductile, used in 
alloys, or as a coating for other metals. 

There are but two ores of tin, and these 
occur usually in small veins of quartz. Tin 
is also obtained from gravel, and is then 
called Stream Tin. The veins occur in 
granite, gneiss, and mica slate, and the 
associated minerals are copper and iron 
pyrites. They are considered worth work¬ 
ing, when but a few inches wide. 


60 


BISMUTH. 


STANNITE. BELL METAL ORE. 

Massive, or in grains. Color, steel-gray 
to Iron-black. Streak, blackish. Brittle. 
H.=4. G.=4.3—4.6. Contains 27 per cent, 
of tin ; 30 per cent, of sulphur; 30 per cent, 
of copper, and 13 per cent, of iron. Found 
sparingly, hardly to be called an ore of tin, 
and oftener worked for copper. 7.2 cubic 
feet make one ton of ore. 

CASSITERIT E. TIN ORE. 

Dimetric. Crystals often compounded. 
Also massive, and in grains. Color, brown 
to black. Streak, gray to brownish. Lustre, 
shining. H.=6.7. G.=6.4—7.1. Its high 
specific gravity is characteristic. Contains 
78.67 per cent, of tin, and 21.33 per cent, 
of oxygen. B.B. with soda gives bead of 
tin. 

Looks like blende, or a dark garnet. Very 
hard, will strike sparks with steel. 4.7 cubic 
feet weigh one ton. Mined chiefly in Corn¬ 
wall. The Cornish mines were worked in 
Roman times, and are now very deep. The 
tin veins in Dakota, U. S., are gold-bearing, 
and the formation is quartzite, sandstone, 
and slate, overlying granite. Phosphate 
minerals also, occur abundantly. 

BISMUTH. 

native.— Rhombohedral. Generally massive. 
Color and streak, silver white, with slight 
red tinge. Tarnishes. May be hammered 


CADMIUM. 


61 


out a little when heated, but is brittle when 
cold. H.=2—2.5. G.=9.7—9.8. B.B. 
fuses very easily, vaporizes, and leaves a 
dark yellow coating on charcoal, which be¬ 
comes paler on cooling. Pure Bismuth, 3.2 
cubic feet weigh one ton. Found with ores 
of silver, cobalt, and gold. Used chiefly as 
an ingredient in fusible metal, also in medi¬ 
cine, and as a pigment. Bismuth occurs in 
several other ores. Found in same forma¬ 
tions as copper. Occurring in gneiss and 
other crystalline rocks. 

CADMIUM. 

This metal is white like tin, but so soft it 
leaves a mark on paper. Used as a solder 
(with tin) for aluminum. There is but one ore : 
creenockite the sulphide.— -In hexagonal 
prisms. Color, light yellow. Lustre, bril¬ 
liant; nearly transparent. H.=3—3.5. G.= 
4.8—5. B.B. fuses easily, and leaves, if 
fused on a piece of plaster of paris, a dark 
brown, or reddish brown deposit. 6.5 cubic 
feet weigh one ton. 

Cadmium is often associated with zinc ores. 

ZINC. 

A brittle, bluish-white metal, crystalline, 
and very lustrous on fresh broken surface. 
Used with copper, to make brass; as roofing 
sheets; and as paint; also to coat iron (gal¬ 
vanized.) B.B. covers charcoal with zinc 
oxide, yellow while hot, white when cold. 


62 


ZINC ORES. 


SPHALERITE. BLENDE. 

Isometric. Generally massive ; rarely fi¬ 
brous. Various colors. Streak, white to 
reddish brown. Cleavage perfect. Waxy. 
Brittle. H.=3.5—4. G. =3.9—4.2. Con¬ 
tains 67 per cent, of zinc; 33 per cent, of 
sulphur. B.B. nearly infusible. Looks like 
pieces of resin or dirty gum. 8 cubic feet 
weigh one ton. Known as black jack. 

ZINCITE. RED ZINC ORE. 

Hexagonal. Usually in separate grains. 
Color, bright red. Streak, orange. Lustre, 
brilliant; translucent. Foliated like Mica. 
H.=4—4.5. G.=5.4—5.7. Contains 80.3 

per cent, of zinc; and 19.7 per cent, of 
oxygen. B.B. gives no bead, but fuses with 
borax, and leaves a coating on coal. 5.8 
cubic feet weigh one ton. A valuable zinc 
ore. 

SMITHSONITE. CARBONATE OF ZINC. 

Rhombohedral. Usually massive. Color, 
impure white, green or brown. Streak, 
uncolored. Lustre, stony. Translucent. 
Brittle. H.=5. G.=4.3—4.45. Contains 

about 52 per cent, of zinc, with often some 
Cadmium. B.B. infusible alone, but with 
soda leaves a deposit on charcoal, which 
moistened with nitrate of cobalt, turns green. 

CALAMINE. DRYBONE. 

Trimetric. Usually massive. Color, white, 
bluish, grayish, or brownish. Streak, un- 


IRON ORES. 63 

colored. Lustre, vitreous. Nearly trans¬ 
parent. Brittle. H.=4.5—5. G.=3.16— 

3.9. Contains 67.5 per cent, of zinc oxide; 
25 per cent, of silica; and 7.5 per cent, of 
water. B.B. almost infusible. Yields no 
metal, but acts same as Smithsonite. 10 cubic 
feet weigh one ton. 

Zinc ores occur in rocks of all ages, gen¬ 
erally associated with lead ores, and often 
with copper, iron, tin and silver. There are 
various ores of zinc not of much value, as a 
source of the metal. It is often a detri¬ 
mental substance in gold and silver mines, 
making the ore difficult to treat. The metal 
is obtained by distillation in retorts of vari¬ 
ous forms. The furnaces, and accessories, 
require considerable capital, and skilled man¬ 
agement. 

IRON. 

native.— Found in the metallic state in 
meteorites, and occasionally, in grains in 
some rocks, but never in commercial quan¬ 
tity, unless we except, some masses of a ton 
weight found in Sweden. 

PYRITE. NON-MAGNETIC ORE. 

Isometric. Usually in cubes or massive. 
Color, brass-yellow. Streak, brownish-black. 
Lustre, of crystals, brilliant. Brittle. H. 
=6 —6.5. G.==4.8—5.1. B.B. yields no 
metal, but a magnetic globule. Contains 


64 


SULPHIDE IRON ORES. 


46.T per cent, of iron; and 53.3 per cent, of 
sulphur, which latter constitutes the valu¬ 
able part of this ore, being used to obtain 
the sulphuric acid of commerce. Will 
scratch glass. 6.5 cubic feet equal one ton. 

PYRRHOTITE. MAGNETIC PYRITES. 

Hexagonal. Generally massive. Color, 
between bronze - yellow and copper-red. 
Streak, grayish-black. Often with dark 
tarnish. H. = 3.5— 4.5. G. = 4.4 — 4.65. 
B.B. yields no metal, but changes to the red 
oxide. Contains 60.5 per cent, of iron ; 39.5 
per cent, of sulphur. Tarnishes easily. 
Valuable as an ore of nickel. (See under 
head of Nickel .) Also used to make green 
vitrol. 7.1 cubic feet equal to one ton. 

ARSENOPYRITE. MISPICKEL. 

Trimetric. Also occurs massive. Color, 
silver-white. Streak, grayish-black. Lustre, 
shining. Brittle. H.=5.5—6. G. =6.3. 
B.B. yields no metal, but fumes of arsenic, 
which have the odor of garlic, and may be 
perceived on striking the ore smartly with a 
hammer. 5 cubic feet equal one ton. Con¬ 
tains 46 per cent, of arsenic (which is its 
valuable constituent); 19.6 per cent, of sul¬ 
phur; and 34.4 per cent, of iron. Some¬ 
times it is rich in gold, but until recently 
this could not be profitably extracted, owing 
to the difficulty of getting rid of the arsenic, 
which prevented its successful treatment. 


HEMATITE IRON ORES. 


65 


Now, however, with lately perfected pro¬ 
cesses, it is possible to treat the most ar¬ 
senical ores economically, and prospectors 
should have mispickel ores examined for 
gold. None of the above ores are used for 
the making of iron and steel. 

HEMATITE. SPECULAR IRON ORE. 

Under this and following heads are in¬ 
cluded most of the ores from which pig iron 
and steel are made. Varieties are: micace¬ 
ous, red hematite, red chalk, clay iron stone. 
Rhombohedral, massive, granular, some¬ 
times micaceous, also earthy. Color, red, 
steel-gray or iron-black. Streak, cherry-red, 
or reddish brown. Hardness varies; from 
6.5 down to earthy ores. Contains 70 per 
cent, of metallic iron; (when pure); and 30 
per cent, of oxygen. B.B. infusible. The 
, streak will identify this ore under all its 
forms. The darker the ore the redder the 
streak. Not magnetic before heating unless 
it contains magnetite. 6.6 cubic feet equal 
one ton. 

A Bessemer ore, (by which is meant, an 
ore suitable for the manufacture of steel by 
the Bessemer process, now chiefly employed) 
should be practically free from sulphur, and 
phosphorus, and entirely free from titanic 
acid. The higher the percentage of metallic 
iron the more valuable the ore, anything 
over 60 per cent, being high grade. 


66 THE MAGNETIC NEEDLE. 

MAGNETITE. MAGNETIC IRON ORE. 

Isometric. Massive ; also granular. Color, 
iron-black. Streak, black. H.=5.5—6.5. 
G.=5—5.1. Contains (when pure) 72.4 per 
cent, of metallic iron; and 27.6 per cent, of 
oxygen. B.B. infusible. 6.4 cubic feet 
equal one ton. Strongly magnetic, so much 
so that deposits are frequently discovered by 
the variation of the compass. If your com¬ 
pass wavers, and inclines to point very much 
east or west, look for iron along the nearest 
contact. By means of a dip-needle (a mag¬ 
netic needle suspended to swing freely up 
and down between two pivots, instead of 
round, on one, like the compass;) the ore 
deposit may be found when no exposure exists , 
but a very magnetic ore will cause the needle 
to turn completely over when in small quan¬ 
tities, and in some cases it is very mislead¬ 
ing. An expert in the use of the needle can 
get surprisingly accurate knowledge of a 
deposit, even when covered by many feet of 
barren rock. An attraction confined to a 
few feet, is apt to be caused by a boulder. 
If it continues along the strike it indicates a 
lode. A continuous attraction is better evi¬ 
dence of value than a strong one. Sometimes 
found, as a black sand. Often in quartz 
veins, distributed in small pieces through 
the vein, but not in commercially valuable 
quantity, and such veins seldom contain any 
ore of value. 


NATURAL COMPASS. 


67 


lodestone.— Some specimens are natural 
magnets. Place a piece on a light chip of 
wood floating in a basin of water, and it will 
turn north and south, being a natural com¬ 
pass. 

FRANK UNITE. 

Isometric; also massive. Color, iron- 
black. Streak, reddish-brown. Brittle. H. 
=5.5—6.5. G.=4.5—5.1. Usually mag¬ 

netic, but less so than magnetite. Formula, 
like magnetite, but with part of iron re¬ 
placed by zinc and manganese. B.B. with 
soda on charcoal, gives zinc coating. Oc¬ 
curs in large deposits. 

LIMONITE. BROWN HEMATITE. 

Massive ; with smooth surface, or spongy. 
Color, dark brown to ochre-yellow. Streak, 
light brown to dull-yellow. H.=5—5.5. 
G.=3.6—4. Various forms; from a hard 
clay ironstone, to yellow and brown ochre. 
Same as hematite, but contains 14 per cent, 
of water. 8.4 cubic feet equal one ton of ore. 

BOG ORE. 

This occurs in low ground, and is of con¬ 
siderable value ; furnishing large quantities 
of iron, though chiefly used, by local fur¬ 
naces, and for fluxing more difficult ores. 
Contains, when pure, about two-thirds its 
weight of iron. Occurs in beds a few feet 
deep, spread over larger or smaller areas. 


68 HOW IRON IS OBTAINED. 

SIDERITE. SPATHIC IRON. 

Rhom bohedral. Usually massive, and 
foliated. Color, light grayish to brownish- 
red. Streak uncolored. H.=3.—4.5. G.= 
3.7—3.9. Contains 62.1 per cent, of iron 
protoxide. Often with manganese. B.B. 
infusible, but becomes magnetic 8.4 cubic 
feet equal one ton. Used largely for the 
manufacture of iron ?nd steel, and found in 
many rocks, gneiss, mica schist, and cla}'- 
slate. 

CHROMITE. CHROMIC IRON. 

Isometric. Usually massive, with rough 
surface. Color, iron-black to brownish- 
black. Streak, dark brown. Lustre, sub- 
metallic or dull. H.=5.5. G.=4.3—4.6. 

Slightly magnetic. B.B. fusible with borax. 
Nearly the same as magnetite, but contains 
Chromium. 7 cubic feet equal one ton. 
Used largely as paint. 

Iron occurs in nature in endless combina¬ 
tions, but the above ores include all of in¬ 
terest (as iron) to commerce. B.B. all iron 
ores become magnetic, and some contain 
manganese and zinc, as mentioned above. 

The metal iron is obtained from its oxide 
ores, by smelting in blast furnaces, with 
limestone as a flux, the plants being of large 
capacity, and requiring very large capital 
for their successful operation. Steel, is 
made chiefly by the Bessemer process of 
forcing air upward through the molten metal, 


MANGANESE (3RES. 


09 


in open crucibles, no further fuel being re¬ 
quired. Coke is the usual fuel used in 
smelting, but large quantities of iron are 
made with charcoal, and for .some purposes, 
the iron so made, is superior to any other. 
In any case a mixture of ores is required. 

The value of a deposit depends, after 
quality is proved, on its being of great ex¬ 
tent, and within easy reach of shipping 
facilities. An iron mine filling all the above 
conditions, is possibly, the best investment 
to be got. (See also, Iron Rocks page 19.) 

MANGANESE. 

Is never used as a metal in the pure state, 
but is used chiefly as a source of oxygen. 
It is largely used in the arts for bleeching, 
clearing glass, and many other purposes. 
It is never found in the metallic state. B.B. 
the ores yield no metal, but color a borax, 
bead violet. 

PYROLUSITE. 

Trimetric. Massive, sometimes fibrous. 
Color, iron-black. Streak, black. H.=2— 
2.5. G.=4.8. Contains 63.2 per cent, of 

manganese; 36.8 per cent, of oxygen. 6.6 
cubic feet equal one ton. This ore is now 
used as a source of oxygen, for illuminating 
purposes. 

PSILOMELANE. 

Occurs massive. Color, black or greenish- 
black. Streak, reddish-black and shining. 


TO 


MOLYBDENITE. 


H.=5—6. G.=4—4.4. Contains nearly 
same amount of manganese as pyrolusite, 
but varies, and contains some baryta or 
potassa. 7.6 cubic feet equal one ton. 

WAD. BOG ORE. 

Massive, or earthy. Color, and streak, 
black or brownish-black. H.=l—6. G. 
=3—4. Earthy, soils the fingers. 9.1 cubic 
feet equal to one ton. Used as a paint, and 
sometimes consists of irregular globules in 
beds, a foot or more in depth, mixed with soil. 

RHODOCHROSITE. MANGANESE CARBONATE. 

Rhombohedral. Color, rose-red. Cleaves 
like Calcite. H.=3.5—4.5. G. =3.4—3.7. 

Contains 61.4 per cent of manganese prot¬ 
oxide; and 38.6 per cent, of carbonic acid, 
with part of manganese often replaced by 
calcium, magnesium, or iron. 

The ores are found in same formations, 
and under same conditions as iron, and also 
containing silver, which makes a very valu¬ 
able ore, and one easily worked. 

MOLYBDENUM. 

MOLYBDENUM; THE SULPHIDE. - Hexagonal, 

in plaies, or masses foliated in thin plates 
like tin foil. Color and streak, lead-gray, 
the streak with green tinge. Lustre, bright 
on fresh cleavage. H.=l—1.5. G.=4.5— 
4.8. B.B. infusible, but gives fumes of sul¬ 
phur. 6.9 cubic feet of pure molybdenite 
equal one ton. 


GRAPHITE. 


71 


This ore is used but little, chiefly in the 
preparation of a blue color, and is some¬ 
times mistaken for graphite (blacklead), 
which it resembles, but from which it is 
easily distinguished, as graphite leaves a 
black mark on paper, while molybdenite 
has a greenish-black streak, which is best 
seen by drawing a piece across a china or 
other plate. Occurs in crystalline rocks, 
but sparingly; also with lead and copper 
ores. Contains 59 per cent of molybdenum ; 
and 41 per cent, of sulphur. 

GRAPHITE. 

PLUMBAGO. BLACKLEAD. 

Hexagonal. Usually foliated, also mas¬ 
sive. Color, black to steel-gray. Streak, 
as a common lead pencil. Lustre, metallic. 
H.=l—2. G.=2.25—2.27. Soils the fin¬ 
gers, and feels greasy. Contains 95 to 99 per 
cent, of carbon. B.B. infusible. Not 
touched by acids. 13.9 cubic feet of pure 
graphite equal one ton. Largely used in 
the manufacture of pencils, crucibles, stove 
polish, and lubricants for heavy machinery. 
Also in electric lighting, plating, etc. 

Commonly called blacklead. Found 
chiefly in crystalline limestone, also in 
gneiss, and mica schist, and generally forms 
only a small percentage of the ore, distrib¬ 
uted evenly throughout the gangue in 
specks; or in masses of all sizes. A valu- 


TELLURIUM. 


72 

able mineral when pure. Such impurities 
as lime, and iron, destroy its value. Test 
for lime with hydrochloric acid. 

TELLURIUM. 

native.— Hexagonal. Commonly massive. 
Color, and streak, tin-white. Brittle. H.= 
2.—2.5. G.=6.1—6.3. B.B. fuses, tinges 
the flame green, and volatilizes. 5.4 cubic 
feet equal one ton. Also obtained in com¬ 
bination with silver, and lead ores, which 
is the chief source of supply. 

RARE METALS. 

Certain rare metals mentioned below, are 
quoted at high prices in price lists of chem¬ 
icals, and people are led to believe that they 
exist as mines. Some are found native, but 
the cause of their being seldom used, and 
high-priced is in most cases the great ex¬ 
pense attending their extraction, and reduc¬ 
tion, to the metallic state, or their scarcity. 
Those usually mentioned are not of much 
interest, except to chemists. There is but 
a very limited market for any metal so 
priced, even if a quantity should be found. 
barium exists in nature as baryta (or heavy 
spar) a sulphate, (described in part V.) 
macnesium is a very light, tough, white 
metal, never found native, palladium is a 
malleable, steel-gray metal, inclining to 
white, found native, with some platinum, 


RARE METALS. 


73 

and iridium, generally in small grains, in 
gold diggings, and occasionally native gold 
is alloyed with palladium, rhodium is found 
as an alloy with gold, iridosmine is a com¬ 
pound of iridium and osmium: occurring 
usually in small flat grains. H.=6.7. G.= 
19.5—21. Slightly malleable, and used for 
points to gold pens, sodium is the metallic 
base of common salt, (Chloride of Sodium). 
uranium is the metallic base of pitchblende; 
never found native. (See under Pitch¬ 
blende.) 

There are many other metals known only 
to chemists, or rarely used, whether native 
or artificially extracted. None are of inter¬ 
est to commercial mining. 


PART V. 


OTHER MINERALS OF COMMERCIAL VALUE. 

We have now, briefly described, the chief 
ores from which metals of commerce are ex¬ 
tracted, and as such, of greatest interest to 
the general public. 

ALUMINIUM. 

Is a metal of great promise, being only 
one-third as heavy as iron, of great tensil 
strength (26,000 pounds against 16,500 
pounds for cast iron, per inch) and hard¬ 
ness, a beautiful white color, with no taste 
or odor, not liable to tarnish or corrode, and 
taking a polish which is not excelled by any 
other metal, yet it is not of special interest 
to prospectors, being the base of clays, and 
therefore, the most abundant of all metals. 
Its price depends purely on the discovery of 
cheaper methods of extraction. A cubic 
foot weighs but 163 pounds, while iron 
weighs 487, and gold 1206 pounds per cubic 
foot. 

The most valuable source of aluminium, at 
present (and likely to remain the most valu¬ 
able until new processes of extraction are 
developed) is an ore called: 
bauxite.— This mineral is a soft granular, 
compact, ironstaidne clay, and the color is 


CORUNDUM. 


white to brown or reddish, or sometimes 
bluish. G.=2.55. It is a hydrated sesqui- 
oxide of aluminium and iron, and soluble in 
sulphuric acid. A find of value. 

CORUNDUM. EMERY. 

Occurs of many colors, blue, red, etc. 
H.=9, or next the diamond. G.—3.9—4.1. 
An oxide of aluminium. 

When in clear blue crystals forms the gem 
called Sapphire. When crystals are red 
they are called Rubies. (See under Precious 
Stones.) 

Found chiefly in mica schist, and granular 
limestone. 

The variety having bluish-gray and black¬ 
ish colors, is called emery. Used very ex¬ 
tensively, as a polishing material in the 
shape of powder. Distinguished at once by 
its hardness. 

alum shale.— The alum of commerce is ob¬ 
tained from shale, or some rock containing 
alunogen or other alum bearing mineral, by 
heating the rock in lumps to produce 
aluminium sulphate. This is then lixiviated 
in stone cisterns, the lye concentrated by 
evaporation, and potassium added to the last 
solution. On cooling the alum crystallizes 
out. 

COMMON FELDSPAR. ORTHOCLASE. 

Monoclinic. Usually in thick prisms, and 
massive, granular, or fine grained. Not 


76 


CHINA CLAY. 


striated. Color, white or flesh red, some¬ 
times greenish - white. Translucent to 
opaque. B.B. fuses with difficulty. Not 
touched by acids. Moonstone and Sunstone 
are varieties. Contains 64.7 per cent, of 
silica; 18.4 per cent, of aluminium; and 
16.9 per cent, of potash. Largely used in 
the manufacture of chinaware. 

cryolite.— This is a peculiar, translucent, 
snow-white compound. 4I.=2.5. G. =2.95 
—3 Contains 12.8 per cent, of aluminium ; 
32.8 per cent, of sodium; and 54.4 per cent, 
of fluorine. Used as a source of aluminium, 
and its salts; soda; and an opaque white 
glass. Melts easily in the flame of a candle. 

KAOLIN. CHINA CLAY. 

This is a clay derived from the decompo¬ 
sition of feldspar, and used in the manufac¬ 
ture of fine chinaware. A good deposit of 
this clay, easily accessible, and free of grit 
or iron, is a find of value. Soapy to the 
touch. Insoluble in acids. It is one of the 
essentials in a good clay for any purpose, 
but is rarely met with in a pure condition 
fit for the above use. 

To try the quality of the clay, wet a little 
in a white dish and observe that in a good 
article, it does not turn darker. Also ob¬ 
serve that it is not “ gritty,” but an analysis 
is needed to test it, and even that will not 


MEERSCHAUM. 77 

fully prove its value. B.B. will turn from 
white to brown if it contains iron. 

fire-clay.— Pure, unctuous clay, with about 
45 to 60 per cent, of silica, and free, or al¬ 
most free from soda, potash, or alkaline 
earth. Found generally, underlying coal 
seams. 

potters clay.— Must be plastic, and free 
from iron, and usually contains some free 
silica. 

marl.— Clay containing much carbonate of 
lime; from 40 to 50 per cent. Sometimes 
contains many shells, or fragments of shells. 
Used as a fertilizer. 

shale-— Is an indurated compressed clay, 
and is often ground and extensively used 
for bricks, tile, etc. For vitrified bricks, a 
clay, or shale is required with a high fusion 
point, but capable of incipient fusion, to an 
extent which will close up the pores, so as 
to completely prevent the absorption of 
water, before the material absolutely melts. 

MEERSCHAUM. SEPIOLITE. 

Color, white or creamy, sometimes bluish- 
green. Compact, of a fine earthy texture, 
with a smooth feel. H. = 2—2.5. Floats 
on water. Contains 60.8 percent, of silica; 
27.1 per cent, of magnesia; and 12.1 per 
cent, of water. B.B. infusible, gives much 
water, and a pink color, with cobalt solu- 


78 


DERBYSHIRE SPAR. 


tion. Occurs in masses in stratified earth 
deposits. Used for pipe-bowls. 

MANGANESE SPAR. FOWLERITE. 

Color, reddish (usually deep flesh-red), 
also brown, greenish, or yellowish, some¬ 
times black on surface. Streak, uncolored. 
Lustre, stony; transparent to opaque. H.= 
5.5—6.5. G.=3.4—3.7. Contains 45.9 per 

cent, of silica; and 54.1 per cent, of man¬ 
ganese protoxide. B.B. becomes dark 
brown, and with borax, bead is deep violet 
when hot, and reddish brown when cold. 
Looks like feldspar, but is heavier. Used 
in making a violet colored glass, and a col¬ 
ored glaze on stoneware. Takes a high 
polish, and makes a handsome ornamental 
stone. 

FLUORSPAR. FLUORITE. 

Occurs commonly in crystals, or compact. 
In bright colors, resembles some gems, but 
is distinguished by its easy cleavage and 
softness. Colors are white, or light green, 
purple or clear yellow, also rarely rose-red 
or sky-blue. Transparent or translucent. 
H.=4. G. = 3-—3.25. Brittle. Consists of 
48.7 per cent, of Fluorine; and 51.3 per 
cent, of calcium. B.B. decrepitates and 
fuses to an enamel. 

When massive receives a high polish, and 
is made into vases, candlesticks, etc., and 
sold under the name of Derbyshire Spar. 
Hydro-fluoric acid, with which glass is 


GYPSUM. 


79 


etched, is obtained from fluorspar; also used 
as a flux for copper and other ores, hence 
the name fluor. 

CALCIUM. 

APATITE. PHOSPHATE OF LIME. 

Hexagonal. Commonly in six-sided prisms. 
Color, green of various shades, sometimes 
yellow, blue, and reddish or brownish. 
Streak always white. Generally occurs in 
crystals, but sometimes massive. H.=5. G. 
=3—3.25. Brittle. Lustre, stony. 10 cubic 
feet weigh one ton. B.B. moistened with 
sulphuric acid tinges the flame bluish-green, 
without the acid, reddish-yellow. Occurs in 
pyroxene ; crystalline limestone ; hornblende 
gneiss; and mica schist. 

Used extensively as a fertilizer. Distin¬ 
guished from feldspar by trial of hardness. 

GYPSUM. LAND PLASTER. 

This is a hydrous sulphate of Lime. It is 
i;sed on land, for agricultural purposes, and 
as a plaster for walls. H.=1.5—2. G. = 
2.33. B.B. becomes white at once and ex¬ 
foliates, then fuses. When pure white it 
is called— alabaster; when transparent 
—SELENITE ; when fibrous — satin spar ; 
when burned and ground it is plaster of 
PARIS. Found in thick seams in limestone 
and clay beds. 

MARBLE. 

Crystalline limestone, or dolomite, sus¬ 
ceptible of a fine polish, is marble. Colors 


80 


CELESTITE. 


are: white, pink red, mottled, yellow, 
bronze, and black. Massive. Serpentine is 
sometimes called marble. 

LITHOGRAPHIC LIMESTONE. 

Is a compact, fine grained limestone. If 
free from grit, and other impurities, makes a 
valuable quarry. 

HYDRAULIC LIMESTONE. 

An impure limestone, containing silica 
and alumina, which on being burned affords 
a cement which will set under water. Con¬ 
tains 15 to 25 per cent, of clay. 

BARIUM. 

BARITE. HEAVY SPAR. 

Color, white, and yellowish, or reddish. 
Transparent or translucent. Lustre, vitre¬ 
ous or pearly. H.=2.5—3.5. G.=4.3—4.7. 
B.B. fuses, and imparts a green tinge to 
flame. After fusion with soda, stains silver 
coin black. When ground, is used to adul¬ 
terate white lead. Found in veins, gener¬ 
ally with lead, as part of the gangue. 7.1 
cubic feet weigh one ton. 

CELESTITE. STRONTIUM SULPHATE. 

Trimetric. In Rhombic crystals, with dis¬ 
tinct cleavage. Color, clear white, tinged 
with blue, or reddish. Lustre, vitreous. 
Brittle. Nearly transparent. H.=3—3.5. 
G.=3.9—4. B.B. decrepitates, tinging flame 
bright red, and fuses. With soda blackens 


ROCK SALT. 


81 

silver coin. Contains 56.4 per cent, of 
strontia which is used to obtain the red 
color in fire works. Found in sandstone and 
limestone rocks. Is sometimes fibrous. 

SODIUM. 

ROCK SALT. CHLORIDE OF SODIUM. 

Colorless, or colored (by accidental impur¬ 
ities, such as iron), red, brown, pale blue, 
yellow or green. Streak, white. H.=2— 
2.5. G.=2—2.25. Tastes strongly saline. 

Contains 39.30 per cent, of sodium; and 
60.66 per cent, of chlorine, but most samples 
contain clay, and a little lime and magnesia. 
B.B. flies to pieces, and melts into a bead 
which colors the flame yellow. It is 'ob¬ 
tained by sinking wells, from which the 
brine is pumped and evaporated in large 
pans, or by mining, the same as for any 
other ore. 

THORIUM. 

MONAZITE. 

This mineral is a phosphate containing 
cerium, lanthranum, yttrium, didymiumand 
THORIUM, which latter is now used in mak¬ 
ing an improved gaslight. Color, brown 
to brownish-red. Sub-transparent to nearly 
opaque. Lustre, vitreous to resinous. Brittle. 
H.=5. G.=4.8—5.1. Occurs in crystals. 

It is mined, the same as placer gold, from 
sand or gravel beds. B.B. colors the flame 
green when moistened with sulphuric acid. 


ASBESTOS. 


82 

TALC. 

STEATITE. SOAPSTONE. 

Trimetric. Foliated or massive. Color, 
light green or shining white. Sometimes 
dark green. H.=1.15. G.=2.5—2.8. A 

silicate of magnesia. It is easily cut. The 
greenish colored massive variety of talc. 
potstone: is impure soapstone of dark color 
and slaty structure. French chalk is a 
milk-white kind. Soft and greasy to the 
touch. B.B. infusible. 

foliated talc.— Pure foliated talc of white, 
or greenish-white color. 

Soapstone is cut with a saw, and turned 
in a lathe, without difficulty. Used for gas- 
jets, and for various purposes. Takes a fine 
polish after being heated. Also used to 
adulterate soap; as a face powder; and as 
a filling for paper. 

AMPHIBOLE. 

HORNBLENDE. 

Occurs generally as a massive rock, but 
occasionally in fibrous form, as: 

asbestos.— Color, green or white. Fibrous. 
A hydrous silicate of magnesia. May be 
spun into fine threads, by separating the 
fibres into a silky mass, and then twistir g it, 
with the fingers. Used to cover steam- 
pipes, etc., in the form of rough cloth, and 
for many purposes requiring an incombust- 


COMMON MICA. 


83 


ible material. Occurs in seams from half 
an inch to several inches in width, running 
parallel, or crossing one another, the width 
of each seam making the length of the fibre. 
actinolite.— The long-bladed greenish va¬ 
riety. Used for fire-proof material, chiefly 
roofing, with tar, or asphalt. 

MICA. 

MUSCOVITE. COMMON MICA. 

Monoclinic. In crystals, splitting easily 
into sheets, or in scales. Color, white, 
green, brown to black. Transparent, tough 
and elastic. H.=2—2.5. G. =2.7.— 3. 
This mineral is extensively used in sheets, 
and ground. In sheets it is used for stoves, 
standing a great heat; and for insulating 
purposes in electrical plants. Ground ; it is 
used as a lubricant, and in making orna¬ 
mental and fire-proof paint. The pure 
white in large sheets (3x3 and upward) is 
most valuable, but the amber is as good 
value for electrical purposes. When spotted 
it is of little or no value. B.B. whitens, 
but does not fuse except on thin edges. 
Light colored micas are mostly Muscovite; 
black, Biotite. 

LITHIA MICA. LEPIDOLITE. 

Color, rose-red, and lilac to white. In 
small plates, and aggregations of scales. 
Contains 2 to 5 per cent, of the metal 
Lithium. 


VITRIOL. 


84 

lithium — Is a soft, whitish metal, of very- 
light specific gravity, and considerable ten¬ 
acity. It is very fusible. Used in an alloy 
with tin, and lead, as a solder. Lithia is 
also found as a phosphate, in: 
triphylite.— -A mineral having H. = 5. G. 
=3.50. Streak, grayish-white, and lustre, 
sub-resinous. B.B. and mineral containing 
lithia colors the flame a beautiful deep 
crimson. 

SULPHUR. 

This acid is found as the mineralizing 
agent of many metallic ores, and is chiefly 
obtained for commercial purposes from: 
native sulphur.— Color and streak, sulphur- 
yellow, or sometimes orange-yellow. Lustre, 
resinous. Transparent to translucent. 
Brittle. H. = 1.5 to 2.5. G.=2.07. Burns 

with a blue flame and sulphurous odor. 
Pure sulphur, or contaminated with clay, or 
pitch. Found in beds of gypsum, or the 
vicinity of volcanoes, active or extinct. 
Purified, it is the sulphur of commerce, 
which is also obtained largely from copper 
and iron pyrites, from which ores 
sulphuric acid— is also manufactured (the 
non-magnetic ores being preferred for this 
purpose), making veins of these ores valu¬ 
able. It is known as Oil of Vitriol. The 
uses of sulphur for gunpowder, bleaching, 
and medicine are well known. 


ARSENIC. 


85 


PHOSPHOROUS. 

This is also an acid, frequently found com¬ 
bined with lime, forming the valuable min¬ 
eral apatite; also with copper, lead, etc., 
and is very injurious in iron ores. B.B. may 
be detected by moistening the assay with 
sulphuric acid, when the flame is tinged 
green. It is a white, waxy substance, when 
refined, and very poisonous. Used in the 
arts; for making matches, and various other 
purposes. 

ARSENIC. 

This is a common acid in connection with 
ores of economic value, and occurs: 
native.— With silver, and lead ores. Color, 
and streak, tin-white, usually tarnished 
gray. Brittle. H.=3.5. G.=5.65.—5.95. 

B.B. volatilizes before fusing, with the odor 
of garlic, and burns with pale blue flame. 
Also occurs combined with sulphur, as: 
realgar.— of red color. H.=1.5—2. G.= 
3.4—3.6 containing 29.9 per cent, of sul¬ 
phur. 

orpiment.— Bright golden-yellow. H. = 1.5 
—2. G.=3.4—3.5 having 39 per cent, of 

sulphur. 

Obtained chiefly from mispickel. (Arsen- 
opyrite) for commercial purposes. — Very 
poisonous. 

It is an unwelcome ingredient in many 
gold, silver, and other ores, making their 


86 JET. 

treatment very difficult, and often unprofit¬ 
able. 

COAL. 

ANTHRACITE. STONE COAE. 

Color, black with high lustre. Opaque. 
Brittle and sectile. H.=0.5—2.5. G.= 
1.2—1.80. Carbon, with some oxygen, and 
hydrogen, and often more or less clay or 
slate. The seams run from an inch to forty 
feet in thickness. Believed to be of vege¬ 
table origin. Never found commercially in 
crystalline rocks, but is mostly confined to 
the upper rocks, known as Carboniferous. 

BITUMINOUS. SOFT COAL. 

Color, black. G.=not more than 1.5. 
Softer than anthracite. Used to make coke 
and gas, and varies much in the amount of 
tar, gas, or oil it yields. 

BROWN COAL. LIGNITE. 

Color, brownish-black. Like bituminous 
coal in appearance but, contains 15 to 20 per 
cent, of oxygen. Sometimes shows the 
structure of the wood from which it was 
formed. It will not make coke. 
jet.— is a variety of coal, but is hard, of a 
dead black color, taking a fine polish, and 
much used in jewelry. 

. Large quantities of different colored dyes 
are obtained from coal. It is said, that dye 
from one pound of coal will color 5,000 
yards of cotton cloth. 


PETROLEUM—ASPHALT. 87 

NATURAL GAS. 

Gas can be found only in stratified rocks, 
generally in what is called Trenton Lime¬ 
stone, and the gas rock must be covered by 
considerable thickness of a close imperme¬ 
able capping, of some other rock, or clay, 
or no body of gas of any extent will be met 
with, while however abundant, the supply 
is but temporary and will eventually be ex¬ 
hausted in each locality. No surface indi¬ 
cations are found, except small gasflows 
which indicate that the gas, escaping as 
formed, does not exist in the locality in 
commercial quantity. 

PETROLEUM. 

MINERAL OIL. 

The crude oil is found like natural gas; 
only in the higher rocks. It cannot be 
found in metamorphic rocks or any crystal¬ 
line formation. The common coal oil of 
commerce, is the volatile product of the 
distillation of Petroleum, the lubricating 
oils, are the heavy oils left behind, and 
afterwards more or less purified, and per¬ 
haps 10 per cent, (or 1 lb. to the gallon) of 
Paraffin wax,—is the residue of value. This 
wax is the 

ozokerite— of commerce; originally found 
in a natural state. 

asphalt— is mineral Pitch, used for roofing 
and street paving. Color, black to blackish- 


88 


MINERAL WOOL. 


brown. H.=(when solid) 1—2. G. 1—2. 
melts at 90 p F. and is very inflammable. 

PEAT. 

This substance is not a mineral, but simply 
vegetable matter in a state of decomposition. 

Color, brown to black. Spongy. G.= 
0.5—1. When dried contains 15 per cent, 
to 25 per cent, of water. It is found in 
beds, or in bogs. It forms a valuable fuel 
when dried and strongly compressed, fit for 
locomotives, or to smelt iron ores. 

SILICATE COTTON. 

mineral wool— so called is not a natural, 
but an artificial product. It is made by 
converting scoria and certain slags, while 
in a melted condition into a fibrous state, 
and is really glass in its nature, but fibrous, 
soft and inelastic. Used as a preventive of 
fire and frost, and to deaden sound; in 
buildings. 

URANIUM. 

The oxides are used in painting porce¬ 
lain, giving a fine orange color in the ena¬ 
meling fire, and a black color when baked, 
The chief ore is: 

URANINITE. PITCH BLENDE. 

Color, grayish to brownish or velvet- 
black. Lustre, submetallic or dull. Streak, 
black. Opaque. H. = 5.5. G.=6.47. Con¬ 
tains 75 to 87 per cent, of uranium oxides, 
with silica, lead, iron, and other impurities. 


NATURAL PAINTS. 


89 


B.B. infusible alone. Dissolves slowly in 
nitric acid when powdered. 

NATURAL PAINTS. 

Natural paints, are those minerals which 
when powdered and mixed with oil, will 
adhere to a smooth surface, and in drying- 
form an impermeable skin, or covering. 

Red Iron paint; is powdered hematite iron 
ore mixed with oil. 

Yellow Iron paint; is made from the 
brown iron ore. 

Black Iron paint; is made from magnetite. 
Umber; by mixing the iron paints, with 
powdered oxide of manganese. 

Red Copper paint; is powdered red oxide 
of copper. 

Green Copper paint; is powdered silicate 
of copper. 

Zinc White; is oxide of zinc, artificially 
made, by large costly plants. 

White Lead; is carbonate of lead, also 
artificially prepared, the natural ores 
not being pure enough. This also is a 
costly process. 

Red Lead ; is oxide of lead, and has to be 
carefully made by experts. 
Vermillion; is the natural ore of mercury. 
Slate colored paints, are made from pow¬ 
dered, fine-grained slates, ground in oil. 
Graphite makes a fine shiny, fire-proof 
paint. 


90 


AMBER. 


The Ochres; are fine clays, with brown 
or red iron in them, which have been nat¬ 
urally washed, and ground, and sifted, to an 
extent that cannot be profitably imitated 
by art. 

TRI POLITE. 

infusorial earth.— This polishing earth is 
formed from very minute siliceous shells, 
and besides its use for polishing metals, is 
mixed with nitro-glycerine to make Dyna¬ 
mite, the powerful explosive used exten¬ 
sively in all heavy rock cutting. 


ish. 


AMBER. 

mineral resin. —Is yellow in color to whit- 
Lustre, resinous. Transparent to 
translucent. H.=2—2.5. G. = 1.18. 
Becomes electric when rubbed. 
Is a resin, but mainly one that 
resists all solvents called Suc¬ 
cinite. It is supposed to be a 
vegetable resin,which has been 
altered by sulphur while im¬ 
bedded. Generally found along 
sea-coasts, in masses from 
pea size to as large as a man’s 
head. It is used to make 



ornamental 


neck-laces of 
beads, mouth- 
pieces for 
pipes, cigar 
holders, etc. 













PRECIOUS STONES. 

Stones of the most valuable kinds— Emer¬ 
alds, Sapphires, Rubies, Garnets, Opals, 
and perhaps Diamonds, will yet be found in 
many sections in America, where they have 
not hitherto been discovered, or their exist¬ 
ence even suspected. The fact is, that very 
few prospectors know anything at all about 
precious stones or crystals, and in most 
cases are not aware that Crystals or hand¬ 
some specimens of minerals, have a value 
entirely apart from that due them as the 
source of the metals. 

Very few people have any idea of the 
beauty brought out, by polishing even very 
common stones or pebbles. 

In an idle hour on the bank of stream or 
lake, amuse yourself by trying the hardness , 
of any clear pebbles, or crystals you may 
find there. When you come across one that 
is not scratched by the corundum in your 
case, which represents number nine in the 
scale of hardness, or one which being 
scratched by number nine, will also scratch 
it in turn, put it in your pocket, and send it 
by mail to a Lapidary or dealer in mineral 
specimens. 

This costs almost nothing and you may 
one day, be surprised by the result, and 
find yourself well paid for your trouble. 


92 


SIZE OF GEMS. 


Again, when you run across a handsome 
cluster of Quartz, or other Crystals, do like¬ 
wise. Gems are discovered by carefully ex¬ 
amining the various stones found in pan¬ 
ning, or washing gold gravel. 

Sometimes the expenses of a long trip, 
may be recovered by the collecting of a few 
good crystals or unusual specimens of min¬ 
erals, not of commercial value other than as 
Cabinet Specimens. Precious stones are 
sold at so much a carat, which is a conven¬ 
tional weight, divided into four grains, which 
are a little lighter than troy grains. The 
term is derived from a dried bean used as a 
weight in Africa, for weighing gold. 

An approximate idea of the size of the 
various gems, may be had by reference to 
their varying specific gravity in comparison 
with this table of the approximate size of 
Diamonds, which is as follows, a stone 
weighing 


of a carat is about 

T6 

inch in 

diameter. 

1 <( H 

T6 

3 

32 

“ 

“ 

1 it it 

¥ 

i 

‘ * 


1 .i «< 

¥ 

TS 

“ 

“ 

1 il u 

To 

“ 

“ 

1 

1 

¥ 

“ 

“ 

2 “ “ 

5 

T¥ 

“ 

“ 


Diamonds are worth from $30 to $150 per carat. 

Emeralds “ “ “ 10 “ 75 “ “ 

Rubies “ “ “ 8 “ 90 ‘ “ 






DIAMONDS. 


93 


Precious stones when polished are worth 
from 10c. to $10.00. 

They occur in the drift where the country 
rocks are eruptive. Transparency and hard¬ 
ness tell their value. 

DIAMONDS. 

Isometric. Faces of crystals often curved. 
Color, pure, colorless, or white (the most 
valuable) also yellow, orange, green, blue, 
brown and black. Lustre, adamantine. 
Transparent, unless dark colored. H.=10. 
G.=3.5. Pure Carbon. The hardest sub¬ 
stance known. 

The Diamond does not sparkle in the 
rough, as found, or until polished. The 
best test is the hardness, and its becoming 
electric, when rubbed before polishing , this 
stone always showing positive electricity. 
Other gems are negative unless polished. 
B.B. burns. 

Look for dull grayish white pebbles, hav¬ 
ing a worn octohedral form pointed at appo¬ 
site ends, Generally found in gravel dig¬ 
gings, but the Diamond bearing rock, in 
Brazil appears to be, a species of mica schist 
filled with quartz in grains, called Itacolu- 
myte, while at the Kimberly mines, in 
South Africa, it is a magnesian conglomer¬ 
ate with silica as a base. The matrix; known 
to the miners as the “blue,” consists for the 
first 100 feet of soft friable yellow shale, 


94 


SAPPHIRES. 


altered from a slate-blue colored crystalline 
rock, which pulverizes on exposure to the 
air. The encasing rocks of the “chimney” 
are first a reddish sand from 2 inches to 2 
feet, then a few feet of calcareous Tufa, of 
recent date and still forming. Then a yel¬ 
low to pinkish shale for 35 to 50 feet, suc¬ 
ceeded by a black carbonaceous shale which 
extends to 260-—-285 feet from the surface 
when it gives way, to an unstratified basalt 
trap—depth unknown-—which encircles the 
whole mine or mines. It is an amygda- 
loidal Dolerite with much agate. The 
“blue’’ contains many thin veins of calc- 
spar, and mica, pyrite, and hornblende 
occur throughout. The total area is eleven 
acres. The “ blue” is allowed to lie in the 
open air until pulverulent, when it is care¬ 
fully washed and the stones picked out. 
The less valuable are used as drills, and in 
pow der as polishing material. The Diamond 
is cut by abrasion with its own powder. A 
cutter has succeeded lately in cutting a 
finger ring out of one perfect stone, f of an 
inch in diameter. 

SAPPHIRES. 

Rhombohedral. Usually in six-sided 
prisms but very irregular. Blue is the true 
color, but the stone occurs; red; yellow; 
green violet and hairbrown. Transparent 
or translucent. H.=9 or next the Diamond. 
G. = 4 — 4.16. B.B. remains unaltered. 


TURQUOISE.—EMERALD. 95 

Pure Alumina. Dark colors are called 
emery, (which occurs granular in appear¬ 
ance), and is used as a polishing powder. 

Test for hardness. It scratches quartz 
very easily. Commonly found in gravel 
washings, and in mica schist, and gneiss, 
with crystalline limestone, as the usual 
matrix. 

A very valuable gem, the red colored 
being most highly prized. One specimen 
weighs 18^ pounds Troy, and is transparent, 
without a flaw. 


TURQUOISE. 

In opaque masses, without cleavage. 
Color, bluish-green. Lustre, waxy. H.= 
6. G.=2.6— 2.8. B.B. becomes brown, 

and tinges the flame green, but does not 
fuse. Soluble in hydrochloric acid, and 
moistened with the acid tinges the flame 
green for a moment, owing to the copper 
present. Is highly valued, but closely imi¬ 
tated by art, though the artificial gems are 
much softer. Occurs in veins. 

BERYL. 

EMERALD. 

Color, green, sometimes bluish or yellow¬ 
ish. Streak, uncolored. Transparent, or 
translucent. Brittle. H.=?.5—8. G.= 

2.7. The rich green is the true emerald. 
The bluish-green are called aquamarine. 
Colored by chromium when pure green. 


96 


TOPAZ.—OPAL. 


Not touched by acids. B.B. infusible, but 
becomes clouded. One specimen weighs 
nearly seventeen pounds. Occurs in granite, 
and gneiss, but the finest crystals are found 
in dolomite. 

TOPAZ. 

Trimetric. Iri rhombic prisms, with per¬ 
fect cleavage. Color, pale yellow, white, 
reddish or greenish blue. Transparent to 
translucent. H.=--8. G.=3.5. Consists of 

alumina and silica. B.B. infusible. Not 
affected by acids. Found both in loose 
crystals or pebbles, and in veins in meta- 
morphic rocks, 

When used in jewelry the color is often 
altered by heat. Becomes electric on heat¬ 
ing. The quartz crystals are known as 
False Topaz. {See also under Quartz.) 

OPAL. 

Precious Opal. — Compact or earthy. 
Opaque white or bluish-white, with beauti¬ 
ful play of colors. H.=about 6. G.=about 
2—. Fire Opal; has yellow, and bright 
fire-red reflections. Easily scratched by 
quartz. B.B. infusible. Composition like 
quartz, but usually contains two to ten per 
cent, of water. Some stones are good 
natural barometers, becoming clouded on 
the approach of stormy weather, and clear¬ 
ing, and showing brighter reflections, as the 
weather becomes settled. 


GARNET—ZIRCON. 


97 


GARNET. 

Isometric. Also occurs massive, or gran¬ 
ular. Color, deep red to cinnamon, also 
brown, black, green, and white. Trans¬ 
parent to opaque. Lustre, vitreous. H.= 
7.5. G.=3.1—4.3. B.B. fuses easily. When 
transparent, precious; if opaque, common . 
Of frequent occurrence in mica schist and 
gneiss, but fine clear crystals are not com¬ 
mon, and are highly valued. There are 
many varieties. Its crystalline form and 
fusibility distinguish it. 

ZIRCON. 

Dimetric. Usually in crystals, but also 
granular. Color, red to brown or gray, 
yellow, and white. Streak, uncolored. 
Lustre, adamantine. H.=7.5. G.=4—4.8. 
Transparent red specimens are called hya¬ 
cinth. Sometimes heated in a crucible, 
with lime, when it loses its color, and is 
then sold as diamond. Occurs in granite, 
gneiss, and some other igneous rocks. Dis¬ 
tinguished by its square prismatic form, 
and great specific gravity. 

QUARTZ GEMS. 

Quartz is rhombohedral in crystallization, 
occurring usually in six.sided prisms more 
or less modified, also compact or granular. 

Crystals are colorless or yellow, amethys¬ 
tine, rose, smoky, and other tints. Trans- 


08 


QUARTZ GEMS. 


parent to opaque, and sometimes the colors 
are banded red. green, blue, and brown to 
black. H.=7. G.=2,5 to 2. 8. Contains 

nominally; 53.33 per cent, of oxygen; and 
46.67 percent, of silicon, but often contains 
iron, clay, and other minerals. B.B. in¬ 
fusible alone, but fusible with soda. The 
following are all varieties of quartz: 

Rock Crystal. —Pure pellucid quartz. The 
“ whitestone ” of jewelers, often used 
for spectacles and optical instruments. 
Amethyst. —Purple, or bluish violet; of 
great beauty. 

Rose Quartz. —Pink or rose-colored. Sel¬ 
dom in crystals. 

False Topaz. —Light yellow, clear crystals. 

Often cut and sold for Topaz. 
Cairngorm Stone. —Simply smoky Quartz. 
Prase. —Leek green, massive quartz. 
Aventurine. —Common quartz, spangled 
with yellow mica. 

Chalcedony. —Translucent, massive, with 
waxy lustre. 

Chrysoprase. —Apple-green chalcedony. 
Carnelian. —Bright red'chalcedony, of rich 
tint. Much used for seals. 

Sard. — Deep brownish-red chalcedony, 
blood-red by transmitted light. 

Agate. —Variegated chalcedony. Beautiful 
when polished. 


A DISPLACED VEIN. 99 

Moss Agate. —Contains moss-like delinea¬ 
tions, caused by iron oxide. 

Onyx. —Agate having the colors in flat hori¬ 
zontal layers. Usually light brown and 
opaque white. It is the material used 
for Cameos. 

Cat’s Eye. — Greenish - gray, translucent 
chalcedony, with a peculiar opalescence 
when polished with spheroidal surface, 
owing to inclusions of asbestos. 

Bloodstone ; or Heliotrope. —Deep green, 
with spots of red. A variety of jasper. 

Silicified Wood. — Petrified wood, quartz 
having replaced the wood. 

Fleches d’amour. — (Love’s Arrows.) 
Quartz with rutile (or oxide of titanium) 
penetrating in every direction like fine 
hairs. 



Section Showing Banded Vein ; Displaced by a Fault. 

This cut shows a vein with pay-streak which has been thrown to one side, 
in such a manner that if worked by a slope it would be losj altogether. A 
study of the formation will enable the miner to decide in wfoich direction to 
go, without any lost labor. L > 







PART VI. 


PRACTICAL POINTERS. 

rejecting That there are more valuable 
samples. deposits of mineral'passed over 
unrecognized, in each and every season, 
than are discovered, I believe to be a fact, 
at least as regards new mining territory. 
To old mining districts, where the geology, 
and mineralogy, have been thoroughly 
worked out, and where the community in 
general, is familiar with the only ores exist¬ 
ing in the territory, this of course does not 
apply. The very first requisite to success 
in prospecting, is to become familiar with 
all the various ores and rocks by sight. Study 
each ore until you can recognize it at once. 
a good The average prospector is familiar 
rule with at most, the ores of but two 
or three metals, and will often pass by, the 
very thing which would yield the best re¬ 
turn. This comes from going to work on a 
wrong principle. A prospector should never 
reject samples of veins, simply because he 
does not recognize the ore, as valuable. On 
the contrary, he should procure samples of 
every lode, or deposit, which he does not 
know positively , to be of no value, and submit 
them to a, competent mineralogist for ex¬ 
amination., This will at any rate serve one 


COLLECTING SAMPLES. 


101 


good purpose — the prospector will learn 
what the substance is, and thus add to his 
knowledge. 

how to In selecting samples for assay, 
sample. break small pieces from as many 
different parts of the deposit as possible. 
One sample however large, is of little value, 
as it will almost invariably be either too rich 
or too poor, and will therefore be mislead¬ 
ing. Collect three to five pounds of iron, 
galena, gold, or silver ore, and all quartz or 
vein matter, thus giving the assayer some 
chance to properly sample, and always re¬ 
tain a portion. 

collecting In taking samples, paint a num- 
samples. ber on each and every sample 
on the spot, and at the time, and enter exact 
particulars of each in the blank columns 
ruled for the purpose, at the end of this 
volume ; where sample was got, part of vein 
taken from, depth, date, with other items 
thought of, so that if necessary, an affidavit 
may be made regarding any given sample, 
at any time in the future ; and keep duplicate 
samples , which in time make a collection of 
value. 

the When sending samples for assay 

chemist, to a chemist, many people expect 
an opinion of the ore, or some further in¬ 
formation. As a rule no chemist will do 
more, than simply test for the metal or other 


102 


OBJECT IN ASSAYING. 


ingredient, asked for by the sender. The 
chemist has no knowledge of the purpose 
for which the information, or analysis, is 
wanted, and is seldom competent to give an 
opinion, as to the value of the property as a 
mine. That is not his business, and even 
when a competent business man, and miner 
—he will not commit himself; as he is sim¬ 
ply paid as a chemist for the assays made, 
and not for an opinion as an expert metal¬ 
lurgist or miner. 

Every mining expert must have a knowl¬ 
edge of assaying—no chemist need have any 
knowledge of mining. 
object in The owner, or anyone, inter- 
assaying. ested in a mine requires, not 
only to know the amount of metal in the 
ore, but more especially the amount neces¬ 
sary to make the mine pay —that is the vital 
point—and that depends on the amount of 
metal which can be taken out of the ore, 
when treated on a commercial scale; on the 
cost of mining, and of treatment (which 
varies in almost every case); the cost of 
shipment; and many other things. A work¬ 
ing test of a few tons of ore, taken as mined, 
should follow the. assays, which in their 
proper place are valuable in proportion to 
the skill of the sampler. 
whereto In choosing a route for a pros- 
prospect. pecting trip, be guided to a con¬ 
siderable extent by the strike of the. country 


HIDDEN PLACERS. 


103 


rock. Follow along a granite ridge; if such 
runs through the country; in a zig-zag 
fashion, continually crossing and re-crossing 
any contact of two formations. Linger to 
carefully search along either side of any 
fault, or disturbance, especially if caused by 
an eruptive dyke, and notice any sudden 
change in the strike of the rock, or appear¬ 
ance of the timber. Try all the streams 
and gravel bars for gold, stream tin, etc., 
not forgetting that dry placers (or old river 
beds) contain as much metal as the present 



This section shows an old river bed covered by a trap overflow which forced the 
river to take a new course, along the line of a “ fault.” 

A A—Earth. E—New Channel. O O—covered gold-bearing gravel. N N—The 
formation. F—Fault. SS—Trap overflow. 

streams, and that old gravel beds, are some¬ 
times covered by a thick capping of rock, 
caused by an overflow of trap or lava; and 
if found, follow up the course until you 
reach the source of the gravel, and the veins. 





















104 


LEAD VEINS. 


Use the pan at every opportunity, and study 
all material obtained by washing, carefully 
saving any unknown substance. 

Many ores are found, such as lead veins, 
or nickeliferous pyrrhotite, by observing a 
peculiar red stain throughout the earth or 
drift, and ore is often got, where no expo¬ 
sure or other indication exists, save stains, 
and discolorations on the bare rock, or other 
slight results of oxidation. Lead veins, 
sometimes cause a series of hollows, or 
“sinks,” running in a straight line. 



The above section shows a common occurrence of Galena Veins, oo—Surface 
Clay. NN— Limestone. M—main bodies of ore. C —a Pocket. S— the Lode. 

how to After coming across a vein, first 
opem. follow the outcrop, on the strike, 
as far as possible, and where it can be 
traced for a distance, spend some time in 
choosing the most favorable places for open- 

























PREPARING PROSPECTS. 105 

ing; where the outcropping appears widest, 
and the ore most abundant. Begin by 
making shallow cuts across the vein, at 
these places, and after selecting the points 
which look the most likely, and where the 
vein seems to carry the greatest quantity of 
metal, sink small shafts to the depth of 
about eight or ten feet. Then have assays 
made; and if satisfactory, continue the 
shafts until a sufficient depth is reached to 
admit of cross-cutting. This being done; 
and the results being favorable, and further 
sinking and stripping showing ore to exist 
in quantity; the property will be ready for 
examination as a prospect , by experts on be¬ 
half of capitalists; or on behalf of the 
owners; to obtain an authoritative report, 
to place the property on the market in good 
form; or lay out the mine, to the best 
advantage. 

Do not consider the money spent in pre¬ 
paring the prospect for the market, as an 
expense to be avoided. It is necessary to 
show capital the best possible evidence of 
value, as an inducement to inspect the 
goods offered, and then the sale will depend 
on the property being shown to advantage, 
by developing as much ore as possible, strip¬ 
ping the vein on the surface, etc., in strict 
conformity with the report and plans shown 
to the investor, and on which the expense 
of the examination was undertaken. 


106 


PROSPECTING WORK. 



BEAVER SILVER MINE, PORT ARTHUR, CANADA. 

SCALE: 400 FEET = 1 INCH. 

This cut shows a successful Silver Mine, and also how a mine should be laid out. 
O—Trap. D—Slates. C—Earth. 

prospecting In sinking prospect shafts, or 

WORK - in doing any other work of a 

prospecting character, do not put any money 
into plant, machinery, or buildings, until 
absolutely necessary. Do the work as long 
as possible by hand labor. Ordinarily a shaft 
may be put down the first forty or fifty feet, 
with the aid of a common windlass, (which 
should be provided with a good brake) and 
the second fifty feet a horse-whim, will do 
all the hoisting, unless the shaft be very 
wet—in which case a light steam hoist, with 
pump attached; is the most economical. 
Steam or air drills should not be purchased, 
until the mine is a proved producer, unless 
deep working and extensive exploring 
underground is for other reasons decided 
upon. 




















LUCK VS. ECONOMY. 


107 


The main essential to success in prospect¬ 
ing, even more than in other lines of busi¬ 
ness, is steady preservance, backed by com¬ 
mon sense. Nevertheless success does not 
often come, without a close study of how 
rocks are formed, how the ores were deposited, 
and how they came in the positions we now 
find them. It has occasionally happened, 
and doubtless will occasionally happen, that 
a man born under a lucky star, will by sheer 
good fortune stumble on a rich mine, while 
it may be considered certain, that the same 
steady application, as would be shown in 
any other calling, will ensure much larger 
rewards when devoted to mining; and this 
applies equally to those, who, engaged in 
different business, have opportunities to 
secure interests in discoveries made by 
others; nevertheless, it should always be 
remembered, that one find in several only, 
is valuable, and one or two disappointments 
need not discourage further attempts. Econ¬ 
omy should be the watchword in all pros¬ 
pecting work, but there is no economy in 
working with poor tools, or men, no matter 
how cheaply they may be bought. This ap¬ 
plies, perhaps with greater force, to the de¬ 
velopment of new enterprises. More ex¬ 
perience, more general knowledge, sound 
judgment and foresight, are requisite before 
the conditions and difficulties to be over¬ 
come, are fully known, than afterwards; 


108 


prospector’s outfit. 


when good management alone is needed. It 
is very easy to make errors in laying out a 
mine, which it often costs large sums to 
rectify. 



" HARD LUCK ” MINE. Moral : Use a Core Drill. 

the prospect- A good pocket lens, . $ 2.00 


or’s " kit.” A dipneedle, . . . 10.00 

A good compass, (one showing dip is 

the best),.2.50 

A set of f in. steel, one of 12 in., two 

of 18 in. and one of 36 in., . . 3.00 

A 6 lb. striking hammer, .... 1.50 

A good light shovel and pick,. . .2.50 

A light axe,.1.25 

A small prospecting pick, with handle 

divided into inches and half inches, 1.50 
A miner’s pan, of wood or iron, . . 2.00 

A few pounds of dynamite, (Eclipse) 

with fuse, etc.,.3.00 


A jack-knife, with one blade magnetized 1.00 
















HANDLING SAMPLES 


109 


A- case of small samples of ores for 


comparison, .$10.00 

A scale for trying hardness, . . . 2.00 

A vial of mercury, and small steel 

pestal and mortar, . . . .4.00 

A tube of vermillion, for numbering 

samples, and brush,.50 

A small bottle of nitric, and one of 

hydrochloric acid,.1.00 

A number of small cotton or other 
bags to carry samples of crystals, 
etc., in, to keep them from abra¬ 
sion, . .25 

And last, but not least, a simple blow¬ 
pipe outfit, .5.00 


Archibald Geikie says; “A knowledge 
of rocks can never be gained from instruc¬ 
tions given in books, but must be acquired 
from actual handling of the rocks them¬ 
selves.” 

prospectors’ I would advise every pros- 

samples. pector to buy from a dealer 

in minerel samples, a set of the minerals 
comprising the scale of hardness, also a 
prospector’s case of samples of ores for com¬ 
parison, most of which may be very small 
pieces. Nothing else can take the place 
of a known sample of the mineral, which 
can also be compared with samples of the 
vein on the spot, while the cost of a repre¬ 
sentative case of ores, is but trifling, being 
from ten to fifteen dollars for case of about 


110 


COST OF RAILWAY. 


one hundred specimens, covering both ores 
and rocks pretty fully, and this should be 
made the nucleus of a private collection, 
which in time may be valuable, if the rec¬ 
ord of each specimen be faithfully kept. 
means of Every mile between a railway, 
access. or p 0 i n t accessible to large ves¬ 
sels, and a discovery of mineral means a 
reduction in the value of the property, and 
an added difficulty in finding a purchaser, 
and effecting a sale. This is too frequently 
lost sight of in selecting a field. It costs 
from $5,000 to $10,000 per mile in the aver¬ 
age mining country, to build a railroad, 
therefore, unless there be strong reasons to 
the contrary, try and make your “search” 
or venture, as near one means of access or 
the other as possible, and you will save 
much vexatious delay, and disappointment, 
while the chances of success will not be 
lessened. 

selling a Mining properties are usually 
prospect. so ld outright, or leased on roy¬ 
alty. In the former case it is usual to give 
an option at fixed price, for a certain defi¬ 
nite period, during which time the purchaser 
is allowed to make the fullest investigation, 
and if on a prospect, to develop the prop¬ 
erty at his own expense, and to remove such 
an amount of ore as to allow a thorough 
test to be made. In the case of a lease, 
the lessor agrees to mine a minimum amount 


DESCRIBING A PROSPECT. 


Ill 


of ore during each year, and to pay a cer¬ 
tain sum, or royalty, for each ton mined. 
An option to purchase for a fixed sum, is 
sometimes made a condition in the lease. 
Occasionally an owner will arrange to allow 
a plant to be erected and the mine worked, 
under proper conditions, on receiving a fixed 
percentage of the gross output. 
how to In describing a find to possible 
describe, purchasers, be careful to have any 
margin between the description and the 
facts, in favor of the property; never say 
the show is “ about half an acre wide,” or 
‘ ‘ a rifle shot long. ” It depends on who loads 
the rifle. It is just as easy to measure the 
outcrop, if only by pacing it, and to describe 
it as so many feet, or so many paces. The 
description should state : the title ; the kind 
of country; the supply of timber and water; 
the geology, as well as possible; the trail, 
and means of approach; and the surface 
show; giving the dip; and strike; the 
facilities for wo-rking; and sites for build¬ 
ings; the assays; and should be accom¬ 
panied by average samples. Where possible 
the amount of ore “in sight” should be 
stated. The term “in sight” being used 
when an ore body is developed, by shafts, 
undercuttings, etc., to allow of meas¬ 
urement. Never cause a customer disap¬ 
pointment by describing a prospect as a 
mine. 


11*2 


THE DIAMOND DRILL. 


securing In these days of concentration, 
capital. when all mines are carried on, 
with the use of expensive machinery, and 
costly plant, on a large scale, necessitating 
the employment of large capital, a connec¬ 
tion with some one in touch with monied 
men, is absolutely necessary, to enable a 
prospector or owner of a prospect, to realize 
on the property. 

There is only one way to obtain such a 
connection, and be assured of fair treatment, 
that is: by convincing the capitalist, or his 
representative, that the vendor is a man of 
his word, and not in the habit of exaggerat¬ 
ing or misstating plain facts, that when he 
say a foot, he means twelve inches, and not 
six inches. The aim of a prospector or 
vendor of a prospect, should be to place 
it before buyers in the best possible shape 
to induce investigation. An authoritative 
report by a well known unbiased outsider, 
is the quickest way to reach this end. 
core Sometimes, in exploiting a vein, 
drills, or other deposit of mineral, the 
Core Drill offers certain advantages over 
shafts, or tunnels, and drifts. 

In exploring small, or irregular veins the 
work of the Core Drill is not reliable. When 
the conditions allow it fair play, it is the 
most economical method of testing an ore 
body, saving time, and expense in under¬ 
ground work, and boring smooth, straight 


A NEW CORE DRILL. 


113 


holes, in any direction, from vertical to hori¬ 
zontal. Drills are made of varying capacity, 
being driven by hand, steam, or horse 
power, and drilling from 500 to 4,000 feet 
in depth. 

This drill consists of, a hollow circular 
bit, set both on inside and outside edge, with 


inferior diamonds, 
which do the cut¬ 
ting, as the drill re¬ 
volves. A continu¬ 
ous core remains in 
the tube, which is 
broken off and 
drawn up, a section 
at a time, thus giv¬ 



ing an actual sample of the strata passed 
through, at any and every depth. 

A new core drill is being successfully 
used in California, which does not require 
diamonds. It consists of different lengths 
of iron pipe (like gas pipe) screwed together, 
and revolved at a great speed under pressure, 
small chilled steel shot being fed into the 
hole at the top. These become imbedded 
in the soft iron of the pipe, forming a rough 
rasp, which wears the hardest rock It will 
bore either a perpendicular hole, or one on 
the incline, following the dip of the ore and 
is said to be a very economical prospecting 
tool. 

The safest, and generally speaking, the 



114 


HOW ORES ARE SOLD. 


most satisfactory way, is to contract with an 
experienced driller, for the work required, 
at a certain price per foot. 



selling In many cases, when capital is 
ores. n ot conveniently obtained, and 
where it is necessary that a property be 
developed, before being offered for sale; it 
is a matter of moment to sell any ore which 
may be mined, in the course of such develop¬ 
ment. It sometimes happens that sufficient 
ore can be obtained, to pay for the neces¬ 
sary expense incurred. This is a matter re¬ 
quiring considerable judgment and discre¬ 
tion, to decide, before entering on the work, 







WHEN TO MINE. 


115 


depending on a return from the ore. Ore 
can be sold by the single carload, or by the 
ton, but at the minimum price. A hint as 
to the data required, by purchasers of ore, 
may not be out of place. Ores, and mattes, 
aie usually sold at a price per unit, a mini¬ 
mum percentage of metal being usually 
fixed, below which grading the ore must 
not run. Send samples which will fairly 
represent the ore pile, taking care that the 
average will not be too high, and a complete 
analysis of the ore. State as nearly as pos¬ 
sible, how much ore you will be able to ship, 
confining the amount to what you have 
available at the time, and a purchaser may 
be found, who will advance a part of the 
value on the bills of lading (often a consid¬ 
eration to the shipper) for gold, silver, cop¬ 
per, lead and some other ores. 
beginning After sufficient work has been 
to mine. done, to absolutely prove that a 
paying deposit exists, and not till then , should 
mining begin The exploration should ex¬ 
pose sufficient ore, to pay for all plant and 
development work, and a profit, which 
UwSually means a couple of years supply, for 
the necessary reduction works. Further 
development should be pushed so as to keep 
this reserve, constantly ahead. The ore 
should be thoroughly tested, to guarantee 
the above value, by working tests, at the 
nearest refining works, before deciding on a 


116 SELECTING THE WRONG PROCESS. 

process of treatment. A mining enterprise 
conducted in this way, involves no further 
risk, than the loss of the expenses of pre¬ 
liminary investigation, provided it receives 
the same careful management, and honest 
supervision, as all business ventures demand. 

selecting the Selecting the wrong process 

treatment. for treating a given ore, is 
possibly, one of the greatest causes of fail¬ 
ure, in starting a new mining enterprise. 
This is an art in itself. Take for example 
gold ores. One ore is suited best by free- 
milling; another requires free-milling and 
concentration ; the next concentration only, 
followed by smelting, or perhaps chlorina¬ 
tion ; a fourth works best by smelting direct. 
Some ores need fine grinding: and on others, 
coarse grinding is more economical, while 
occasionally it pays best, to loose as much 
as one-third of the gold in the tailings. The 
cost of mining gold varies from twenty-five 
cents to eighty cents for each dollar ob¬ 
tained, in large mills, working under differ¬ 
ent local conditions. 

This point can be decided at little cost by 
one having special knowledge and ability in 
this direction, and no company should de¬ 
cide on the purchase of plant or the use of a 
process, until the best advice in the market 
is had on this point. Not a dollar should be 
spent on experimenting with new ideas or 
costly plant, which although thoroughly 


FARMER VS. MINER. 


117 


tested at some other mine, may not suit the 
ores under consideration. If a company be 
formed and money invested in a mining 
venture, it should be used for mining only, 
and the diverting of funds to any other pur¬ 
pose should be strictly tabooed. 
mining The risk should be confined to the 
risks, natural, legitimate, and unavoid¬ 
able hazard, incidental to mining, as to 
every other business. The popular idea, 
that mining is in itself, more risky, and 
speculative, than other lines of enterprise, is 
a fallacy. The farmer takes greater chances 
on every crop he plants. If the season be 
too dry or too wet, or the grasshoppers too 
numerous; he gets no return. If the 
weather be propitious, it is equally so all 
round, and the extra crops make low prices, 
and thus his profit goes. The legitimate 
miner takes one risk only—that of proving 
his mine. He takes no heed of the weather, 
and his crop is metal, and metal is money. 
What has brought mining into disrepute, is 
incompetence, and dishonesty. Mining re¬ 
quires special .skill, adaptability and experi¬ 
ence, on the part of those actually operating, 
and that the general public is not familiar 
with the business gives unusual opportun¬ 
ity to the unscrupulous, but the day of 
‘ ‘ salted ’’ mines is passing. The profession 
of Mining Engineering is occupied by men 
of knowledge, ability, and probity, and the 


118 


SELECTING A MANAGER. 


“ crook,” and a man who used a pretended 
familiarity with “ Science ” to foist his bogus 
claims to a knowledge of mining, on an 
innocent public, are rapidly being “ frozen 
out,” as the ignorance of the business public 
regarding mining is dispelled. 

Neither should a man undertake to mine 
himself, or under his own supervision, un¬ 
less he is competent and experienced, and 
so in selecting a manager. The manager 
should have a record as being skilful and 
economical, and must in addition be an all 
round business man. Such a man gets a 
good price for his services, and in mining 
the owner or owners can afford to pay it, 
and cannot afford to employ “cheap” men 
or machines. 

mining There is one peculiar feature, con- 

stocks. nected with the business of min¬ 
ing investment. Go to a business man and 
show him any other enterprise in which, 
with a medium amount of risk, he is assured 
of a profit of twenty or thirty per cent., and 
he will immediately give it his most serious 
consideration. Ask the same man to invest 
in a mining venture, and show him a profit 
of fifty per cent, per annum. In almost 
every case he will look for more, and also 
expect the return of his entire capital, in 
addition, within a very short time, and fur¬ 
ther; that the same man, even though he be 
known as one of the most cautious, and con- 


JOINT STOCK COMPANIES. 119 

servative, of investors, will buy stock in a 
mine he knows nothing about, at ten or 
twenty cents on the dollar, without even 
asking what amount the mine is capitalized 
at; after investing possibly thousands of 
dollars, he will not go a day’s journey to in¬ 
spect the property and see where his money 
is being put, or send anyone else to examine 
into the matter on his private account. As 
often as not, he has no personal acquaint¬ 
ance with the men he entrusts with his 
money, and does not even look up their 
record or standing. Apply the same methods, 
figuratively, to another business; and it will 
be seen at once, why so many mines, which 
might be worked to pay handsome dividends, 
on a capital of say one hundred thousand 
dollars—are “ stocked ” for millions, and not 
worked at all. An unscrupulous company 
buys a good mine, and expends perhaps, 
fifty thousand dollars, on purchase, develop¬ 
ment, and “ floating ” same. They capitalize 
the thing, at perhaps three million dollars, 
and offer stock, at say, twenty cents a dollar 
share. They need only sell half a million 
shares, to make one hundred per cent. 
profit , and still ozvn five sixth's interest in the 
mine. No other business, but railroad 
manipulation, or “sugar” trusts, can show 
such profits. No legitimate business can be 
expected of such a company, and apparently 
the business public is to blame, because they, 


120 


MINING DIVIDENDS. 


will treat mining investments, in a manner 
directly the opposite, of that accorded to any 
other offered. 

On the other hand, it is not intended to 
depreciate, the popular method of obtaining 
capital for opening and developing mines. 
On the contrary, the advantages of joint 
stock companies over individual efforts, are 
many. Operations can be carried on, on a 
much larger scale, and thus, better economic 
results may be obtained, while the benefits 
are distributed amongst the many, instead 
of going to a few, to the advantage of the 
community at large. When failure is in¬ 
curred, the loss also, is borne better when 
each member has but a small individual in¬ 
terest. Given the same cautious investiga¬ 
tion and careful scrutiny before investing , 
mining stocks are shown, by statistics ex¬ 
tending over long periods, to pay better and 
more constant dividends, than those of any 
other class, and investments in development 
mining stock, in honest and legitimate min¬ 
ing concerns, are likely to prove more profit¬ 
able than shares in companies organized to 
operate in any other direction. 


USEFUL TABLES. 

MEASURES OF ORES, EARTH, ETC. 

13 cubic feet of ordinary gold, or 


silver ore in mine, equal. ... 1 short ton 
20 cubic feet of broken quartz, 

equal.1 “ 

18 cubic feet of gravel in bank, 

equal .1 “ 

27 cubic feet of gravel, when dry, 

equal .1 “ 

25 cubic feet of sand, equal.1 “ 

14 cubic feet of chalk, equal.1 “ 

18 cubic feet of marl.1 “ 

18 cubic feet of earth, in bank, 

equal .1 “ 

27 cubic feet of earth, when dry, 

equal .1 “ 

17 cubic feet of clay, equal.1 “ 

44.8 cubic feet of bituminous coal, 

broken, equal.1 long ton 

42.3 cubic feet of anthracite, 

broken, equal.1 “ 

123 cubic feet of charcoal, equal. 1 “ 

70.9 cubic feet of coke, equal ... 1 “ 


The number of cubic feet of ore in a ton, 
is got by ascertaining the specific gravity; 
water being taken as the standard. One 
cubic foot of water weighs 62-J lbs., there¬ 
fore, 32 cubic feet weigh one ton (2,000 lbs.) 
The specific gravity of iron ore is, say 4— 
therefore; 8 cubic feet equal one ton, or in 
other words, one fourth of 32, the bulk of 
water. 













122 


USEFUL TABLES. 


RELATIVE WEIGHT OF METALS. 

Cast Iron being the Unit. 

Cast Iron. 1,000 

Wrought Iron. 1,072 

Copper Rolled. 1,226 

Tin. 1,015 

Zinc. 947 

Brass . 1,170 

Steel. 1,086 

Lead. 1,574 

Gold. 2,702 

Silver. 1,448 

Mercury. 1,880 

WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES OF ORDINARY 
METALS. 

Cubic feet 

Metals. Lbs. 

Brass... 488.75 

“ in sheets. 512.6 

“ in wire. 524.16 

Copper, cast. . 543.625 

“ plates. 547.25 

Iron, cast. 450.437 

“ plates. 486.75 

“ wrought bars. 481.5 

Lead, cast. 709.5 

“ rolled. 711.75 

Mercury (60 degrees). 848.7487 

Steel-plates. 487.75 

“ soft. 489.562 

Tin.. 455.687 

Zinc, cast. 488.812 

“ rolled. 440.437 





























USEFUL TABLES. 


123 

WATER REQUIRED FOR QUARTZ MILLING. 

For boiler; 7^ gallons perH. P. per hour. 
For each stamp; 72 gallons per hour. For 
each pan; 120 gallons per hour. For each 
settler; 60 gallons per hour. If the water 
be run into settling tanks it may be used 
again, less considerable loss; say about 
twenty-five per cent. 

a miner’s inch 

will discharge 2,250 cubic feet of water; 
equal to about 17,000 gallons in 24 hours. 
A gallon of water weighs (U. S. standard) 
8-J- pounds, and contains 281 cubic inches. 


TO CALCULATE THE WATER POWER TO BE 
GOT FROM A STREAM: 

multiply the depth by the width, and this by 
the rate per minute, (which can be found 
by floating chips, a measured distance, and 
timing them.) This gives the number of 
cubic feet, or volume per minute. Multiply 
the volume by 62|- (the weight of one cubic 
foot), and multiply this by the height of 
fall. Divide the total result by 88,000 
(pounds) and the result, is the horse power 
of a turbine wheel. In practise only 80 per 
cent, of this power may be relied on. A 
horse power, is a power which will raise 
33,000 pounds, one foot, in one minute. 


124 


USEFUL TABLES. 


TO TEMPER METAL. 

To temper drill steel—cool down to 430 
degrees to 450 degrees, which is respect¬ 
ively ; a faint yellow ; and a pale straw color. 

To temper knives for wood, soft metals, 
etc.—cool down to 510 degrees to 537 de¬ 
grees. A brown, with purple spots—a 
purple. 

To temper axes, cold chisels, etc.—cool 
down to 550 to 560 degrees. Dark blue to 
bright blue. 

To temper saws, springs, etc.—cool down 
to 600. Grayish blue, nearly black. 

In steel heated higher than this, the effect 
of the hardening process is lost. A hand¬ 
ful of salt in the water vessel, will aid in 
obtaining a hard temper. 

TO SOLDEIi OR WELD, USE: 

For iron or .steel, borax or sal-ammoniac. 
For tinned iron; resin, or chloride of zinc. 
For copper and brass; sal-ammoniac, or 
chloride of zinc. For zinc; chloride of 
zinc. For lead; tallow or resin. For lead 
and tin pipes; resin and sweet oil. 

TO CASE HARDEN. 

Heat the article, after polishing, to a 
bright red, rub with prussiate of potash, 
allow to cool to dull red, and immerse in 
water. 


USEFUL TABLES. 


125 


CEMENT FOR CAST IRON. 

Two ounces sal-ammoniac, one ounce sul¬ 
phur, and 16 ounces cast-iron filings. Mix 
well in a mortar, and keep dry. When 
using, take one part of this powder to 20 
parts clear iron filings, make into stiff paste 
with water, and it is ready for use. 

CEMENT FOR FACE .JOINTS. 

Equal parts red and white lead, with lin¬ 
seed oil. 

TABLE OF MELTING POINT OF METALS. 

Water boils at 212 degrees F. 

Ice becomes fluid at J2 degrees F. 


Mercury. 38.2 degrees F. 

Sulphur. 230 ‘‘ 

Tin. 446 “ 

Bismuth . 480 “ 

Lead... 612 “ 

Zinc. 680 

Antimony. 842 “ 

Bronze.. 1652 

Silver. 1873 

Copper. 1996 

. Gold.2012—2282 “ 

Cast Iron. 2786 

Steel .2372—2552 “ 

Bar Iron.2732—3012 

Platinum. 4532 

Glass. 2377 


















126 


USEFUL TABLES. 


ALLOYS IN COMMON USE. 

Babbitt Metal—Tin, 89; Copper, 3.7; An¬ 
timony, 7.3. 

Yellow Brass—Copper, 66; Zinc, 34. 

Gun Metal, Valves, etc.—Copper, 90; Tin, 

10 . 

White Brass—Copper, 10; Zinc, 80; Tin, 10. 
German Silver—Copper, 33.3; Zinc, 33.4; 
Nickel, 33.3. 

Church Bells—Copper, 80; Zinc, 5.6; Tin, 
10.1; Lead, 4.3. 

Gongs—Copper, 81.6; Tin, 18.4. 

Lathe Bushes—Copper, 80; Tin, 20. 
Bearings—Copper, 87.5; Tin, 12.5. 

Muntz Metal—Copper, 60; Zinc, 40. 
Sheathing Plates—Copper, 56; Zinc, 44. 

WEIGHT AND VALUE OF WOOD AS FUEL. 

Cord air-dried Hickory, or Hard Maple; 
weighs 4,500 lbs., and is equal to 2,000 lbs. 
coal. 

Cord air-dried White Oak, weighs 3,850 
lbs., and is equal to 1,715 lbs. of coal. 

Cord air-dried Beech, Red or Black Oak, 
weighs 3,250 lbs., and is equal to 1,450 lbs. 
of coal. 

Cord air-dried Poplar, Chestnut or Elm, 
weighs 2,350 lbs., and is equal to 1,050 lbs. 
of coal. 

Cord air-dried average Pine, weighs about 
2,000 lbs., and is equal to 925 lbs. of coal. 
We may assume from the above; that 2^ 


USEFUL TABLES. 


127 


lbs. of dry wood, is about equal to one pound 
of soft coal, no matter whether the wood 
be pine or maple, so long as it is dry. A 
good boiler should evaporate 7 to 10 lbs. of 
water per lb. of good coal. In practice, 
only 75 per cent, of this is attained. 


APPROXIMATE COST OF MINING AND TREAT¬ 
ING DIFFERENT ORES. 


Varying with Local Conditions. 

Per Ton. 


Gold and silver ore, to 

mine. 

Freemilling. 

Concentration. 

Treatment of concen¬ 
trates . 

Roasting-milling .... 

Chlorination. 

Smelting to matte. . . 
Copper ore costs to mine 
Smelting to matte. . . 
Smelting to black cop¬ 
per. 

Nickel-copper ores: 

Refining matte. 

Silver lead ores: 

Smelting to base bullio 
Iron ores cost to mine.. 
Smelting to pig, per 
ton of iron. 


from $1.00 

to $5.00 

“ 1.00 

“ 2.00 

“ .50 

“ 3.00 

“ 3.00 

“ 15.00 

“ 8.00 

“ 15 00 

“ 3.00 

“ 12.00 

“ 5.00 

“ 30.00 

“ .50 

“ 2.50 

“ 3.00 

“ 6.00 

“ 7.00 

“ 10.00 

“ 100.00 

‘‘200.00 

n,“ 5.00 

“ 10.00 

“ .25 

“ 1.50 

“ 10.00 

“ 14.00 










128 


USEFUL TABLES. 


A breaker with capacity of say 20 tons 
per diem, (crushing to nut size) costs about 
$250, and requires about 4 H. P. 

A mill or pulverizer, crushing 20 tons per 
day, costs about $1,500, and requires about 
8 H. P. 

A concentrating plant, treating about 20 
tons per day, costs about $2,000, and uses 
about 2 H. P. 

An amalgamator, treating about 20 tons 
per day, will cost about $1,500. 

A small prospecting plant, complete for 
freemilling gold ore, will cost about $500. 

Three men drilling ten hours by hand, 
will make 15 to 16 feet on an average. 

A steam drill will make an average of 
about 45 feet; an air drill, 50 to 55 feet per 
day. 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 

Adit .—A tunnel into a hill. 

Aerolites. —Masses of metallic, or stony 
matter which have fallen on the earth 
from other planets. 

Albite. —Soda Feldspar. Triclinic. 

Alkaline —Containing an alkali; as soda, or 
potash. 

Aliaceous. —The odor of garlic; given off 
by mispickel. 

Alluvium. —Gravel diggings. Drift. 

Alloy. —A compound of metals. 

Amalgam. —Mercury combined with gold or 
other metals. 

Amorphous. —Without form. 

Anorthite. —Lime Feldspar. 

Arastra. —A Mexican mill for grinding ore, 
by dragging large stones around in a 
circular pit, stone lined, and having 
quicksilver in the bottom with the ore. 

Arenaceous. —Sandy; applied to rocks. 

Argentiferous. —Silver-bearing. 

Argillaceous. —Containing clay. The odor 
of wet clay. 

Artesian Wells. —Are holes bored through 
solid strata, and often overflow. 

Assaying. —Smelting samples to test the ore. 

A uriferous. —Gold-bearing. 

Azoic .—Without life. 

Back. —The ground between a drift and the 
surface. 


130 GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 


Battery. —A set of stamps. 

Bed. —A layer of rock. 

Bedrock. —The solid rock under a clay or 
gravel bed. 

Belt. —A range of metal-bearing rocks. 

Bituminous. —Carrying mineral pitch. 

Bitter Spar. —Crystal Dolomite. 

Black-Jack. —Dark zinc blende. 

Blacksand. —The last dirt left in panning 
gold. Magnetic iron sand. 

Boulder. —Any rounded loose rock. 

Brace. — The collar at the mouth of a 
shaft. 

Breast. —The face, or front, at which a miner 
works. 

BiLddle. —The tub used to wash slimes. 

Bunch .—A rich pocket of ore. 

Cage. —The lift in a mine. 

Cam .— The curved pin which raises the 
stamp in a mill. 

Calcareous .—Containing Carbonate of Lime. 

Calcining. —Burning, or roasting ores. 

Canon. —A deep ravine or gorge, with pre¬ 
cipitous sides. 

Caprock. —Any rock which covers an ore bed. 

Carbonate. —Applied to oxides, when car¬ 
bonic acid is united. 

Casing. —The sheathing, or parting be¬ 
tween the wall, and vein. 

Chlorides. —Combinations of chlorine with 
metals. 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 


131 


Choke-damp. —Carbonic acid gas. 

Chute. —An incline having depth without 
horizontal length. 

Coke. —The residue after the bitumen is 
driven out of coal. 

Clastic. —Fragmental. When a rock is com¬ 
posed of pieces. 

Cleavage. —The property of splitting in one 
direction. 

Color. —Any show,orspeck of gold in the pan. 

Contact Veins. —Veins running between two 
formations. 

Cradle. —A wooden trough on rockers, for 
washing gold, 

Creep. —The sinking of rock from stoping 
ore. 

Cross Course.— Any vein crossing the one 
worked. 

Cross Cut. —A level run across the vein. 

Cupriferous. —Copper-bearing. 

Dead Work. —Removing dead ground, viz; 
barren rock; to get at the ore. 

Dip. —The'angle at which a vein lies from 
the horizon. 

Divide. —Any continuous range of moun¬ 
tains from which the streams flow in 
opposite directions. 

The Rocky Mountains are called The 
Great Divide. 

Drift. —Loose Rock. A level run on the 
strike underground. 


132 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 


Druse. —A cavity lined with crystals. 

Dump. —The waste pile. 

Dunes. —Heaps of sand blown up by the 
wind. 

Dyke. —-Any ingenious rock which has filled 
a fissure in a straight line, and stands 
above the level. 

Erosion. —The act of is being gradually worn 
away. Thus valleys are made by run¬ 
ning water. 

Face. —The end of a drift or level. 

Fault .—Where the strata has been shoved 
to one side, or up, or down. 

Feeder .—A small vein leading to a larger one. 

Feldspar. —A constituent of many rocks. 
There are many kinds composed of sili¬ 
cates of aluminum, and of alkalies, and 
lime. Hardness=-6. 

Ferruginous. —Relating to iron. 

Fire Damp. —Carburetted hydrogen gas. 

Fissure Veins. —Veins filling a rent in a solid 
rock. 

Float. —Loose ore or rock that has been mis¬ 
placed. 

Floor. —The bottom. 

Flour-Gold .— Gold in a very fine state of 
division. 

Flume. —A sluice-way for water. 

Flux. — Anything mixed with ore, to pro¬ 
duce slags. 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 133 

Footwall. —The lower wall of a vein. 

Formation.— The form, or structure of the 
country rock. 

Freestone. —Sandstone easily dressed. 

Fusion. —The state of melting. 

Gad. —A pointed iron wedge, used for split¬ 
ting rock. (Cornish.) 

Galena. —A lead ore, the sulphide. 

Gallery. —A level from which the ore has 
been stoped. 

Gangue. —The vein matter, or matrix hold¬ 
ing the ore. 

Geodes. —Rounded hollow nodules of rock, 
generally containing crystals. 

Glance. —A term formerly used to specify 
bright shining ores. 

Gossa?i. —The decomposed matter on or in 
an ore deposit, composed of iron oxide. 

Grassroots. —The surface above a mine. 

Hackly. —Having a surface of rough points 
when broken. 

Hade. —The slope of a vein, usually applied 
to a fault. 

Hanging Wall. —The wall on the upper side 
of a vein. 

Horse. —A mass of rock in a vein. 

Hydraulic Cement. —Sets under water. Made 
from limestone containing alumina, 
magnesia, and silica. 

Hydraulic Mining. —Mining placer gold with 
a stream of water under pressure. 


134 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 


Igneous. —Applied to all rocks cooled from a 
state of fusion. 

In situ. —In fixed place. 

Jamb. —Any thick rock which cuts off the 
vein. 

Jigging. —A method of sorting ore, by shak¬ 
ing in a sieve in water. 

Kies .— The sulphides separated from the 
rock matter. 

Kibble. —An ore bucket. 

Lapidary. — One who works in gems; also 
applied to dealers. 

Lead. —A dry river bed yielding ore. 

Lean. —Poor in metal. 

Litharge. —An oxide of lead, used in assay¬ 
ing. 

Lithology.— -The study of rocks. Geology 
applies to formations of the Earth. 

Lode. —A regular vein carrying metal. 

Loam. —A mixture of sand and clay. 

Long Tom. —A wooden trough for washing 
gravel. 

Magma. — The liquid matter within the 
earth, the source of igneous rocks. 

Massive. —Not stratified. Without cleavage. 

Matrix. —The body or “ paste ” of any rock 
enclosing fragments. 

Met amorphic. —Changed in form and struc¬ 
ture. 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 


135 


Mine. —A deposit of ore, which has been 
worked sufficiently to prove its com¬ 
mercial value. 

Mineral. —Any substance taken from the 
earth. In mining, any ore containing 
metal in commercial quantities. 

Muffle. —An oxidizing furnace. 

Native. —As applied in mineralogy, means 
metal found pure, or refined by nature. 

Nugget. —Any lump of native metal. 

Open Cast. —Any working not underground. 

Ore. —Applied to any mineral of commer¬ 
cial value, when mined. 

Outcrop. —The exposure of rock on the surface. 

Outlier. —Any portion of a group of rocks, 
lying in a detached position, or out from 
the main body. 

Oxide. —A compound of oxygen with other 
elements. 

Parting. —A thin stratum, or layer, which 
separates two formations; also called a 
selvage. 

Peat. —Solid vegetable matter in a bog. 

Petrify .—To become stone. 

Phosphates. —Phosphoric acid combinations. 

Pinched. —When a vein is contracted. 

Placers. —Gravel diggings on bed rock. 

Prill. —A good sized piece of pure ore. 

Prospect. —A vein or other deposit not yet 
proved to be a mine. 


136 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 


Pulverize .—To reduce to powder or dust. 

Pumice .—A light, porus lava. 

Quartz. —Silica. Forming rock, and a com¬ 
mon mineral in most rocks. 

Range .—A mineral-bearing belt of rocks. 

Reef .—A ridge; in mining a vein which 
outcrops along a range of hills. 

Riffles .— Bars laid across the bottom of a 
sluice-box, to catch the heavy sands 
and coarse gold. 

Rock .—The stony portion of the earth’s crust. 

Rocker .—A cradle for washing gravel. 

Royalty .—A duty on the product of a mine. 

Sampling Woras .— Small plants for testing- 
ores on a working scale. 

Selvage .—The sheathing between wall and 
vein. 

Silica .—Silex or Quartz. 

Siliceous. —Quartz-bearing. 

Shaft .—The vertical opening to any under¬ 
ground workings. 

Shale .—Fissile argillaceous rock. Generally 
soft. 

Shift .—The time one set of men work. 

Slag .—The scoria or waste from a furnace. 

Slickensides .—Smoothed surfaces on the walls 
of a vein. 

Slope .—An inclined opening to a mine. 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 187 

Stockwerke. —A number of veins running- to¬ 
gether with the enclosing rock min¬ 
eralized. 

Stope .—To remove the ore. 

Stoping Ground. —The ore blocked out ready 
to remove. 

Stratified. —Showing more or less distinct 
and separate layer or strata. 

Streak. —The color of a mineral when 
scratched. 

Streak Powder. —The powder obtained by 
filing a piece of mineral. 

Strike. —The horizontal course of vein or 
formation. 

Stringer. —A small vein leading to the main 
vein. 

Stripping. —Uncovering an ore body on the 
surface. 

Stull. —The platform used in overhead stop¬ 
ing. 

Sulphureous. — The odor of burning sul¬ 
phur. 

Sulphurets. —Metals combined with sulphur. 

Sump. —A well in a mine to collect the water. 

Swab. —The stick used to clean out blast 
holes. 

Swamp Ore. —Bog iron is sometimes called 
swamp ore, when found in low, wet 
ground. 

Synclinical. —The trough formed by the 
downward inclination of the strata from 
each side. The Anticlinal being the 


138 


GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS. 


ridge formed when the strata dips in 
opposite directions. 

Fallings .—The waste material from a mill. 

Tamp .—To hammer loose earth into a blast 
hole. 

Trap.— Any volcanic rock. 

Tufa. —Any open porous rock. 

Tunnel. —A level into a hill. 

Unctuous. —Having a greasy feel, like soap¬ 
stone. 

Underlie. —The angle of a vein from the per¬ 
pendicular. 

Upthrow. —An upward displacement of the 
side of a fault. 

Veinstone. — The mineral in a vein which 
holds the ore. 

Vitreous. —The lustre of broken glass. 

Vug .—A cavity in a vein. 

Weathered. — Changed by exposure to the 
weather. 

Whim .—A large drum for hoisting by horse¬ 
power. 

Whin. —The scotch name for hornstone. 

Winze .—An opening from one level to an¬ 
other underground. 

Zone. —Used to specify a certain geological 
position, of a strata or layer of rock. 


INDEX 


BBREVIATIONS .30, 31 

Acids.. .28, 33, 84, 85 


Actinolite. 

.83 

Advertisements. 

. ..145-147 

Agates. 

... .94, 98 

Alabaster. 


Alum. 

.75 

Aluminum. 

.61, 74, 94 

Alloys—Commor 

i .125,126 

Amalgamation . 

.40-43 

Amber. 

.90 

Amethyst. 

.98 

Amphibole. 

.82 

Anaylsis. 

...24, 101 

Anthracite. 

. .86 

Antimony. 

.34, 43 

Apatite. 

i© 

00 

Aquamarine. 

.95 

Aqua Regia .... 

... .38, 49 

Argillites. 


Argentite. 

.44 

Arsenic.33, 

42, 64, 85 

“ Native... 

.85 

Arsenopyrite.... 

.... 64, 85 

Assay—Sarhples 

for...101 

“ Value of. 

..103, 109 

Asbestos. 

.82 

Asbolite. 

.57 

Asphaltum . 

.87 


Atomic Weights... 

. .31, 32 

Aventurine. 

.98 

Azurite. 

.52 


arometer.— Natural. 92 


^ Barium.. 

..72, 

80 

Barite. 

.69, 

80 

Basalt. 


20 

Bauxite. 

..74, 

75 

Beaver Mine—Cut 

of.. 

106 

Bell Metal Ore.... 


.60 

Beryl. 


.95 

Bessemer Steel.... 


.65 

Biotite. 


.83 

Bismuth. 

60, 

61 

Bituminous Coal . . 


.86 

Black Cobalt. 



Black Hills. 


.41 

Black Jack. 


.62 

Blacklead. 

• 41, 

72 

Blanket veins. 


.17 

Blende.36 

, 60, 

62 


Bloodstone.99 

Blowpipe; The ... .28, 109 
4 4 Blowpipe Practice ”... 28 

Blueite.57 

Bog Ore.17, 67, 69, 70 

Bornite. 51 

Breccia.19 
















































140 


INDEX. 


Bromyrite.45 

Bromic Silver. 45 

Brown Coal.86 

Brown Iron Ore.67, 89 

/^•admium.30, 61, 62 

^ Caringorum Stone.. 98 

Calamine.62 

Calcite.21 

Calcium.79 

California Gold.35 

Cameos.99 

Capital.112 

Capillary Pyrites.55 

Carbon.71, 72, 93 

Carbonate—Copper.53 

“ Manganese. 70 

“ of Soda.29 

“ Zinc.62 

Carnelian. 98 

Carter-Walker process, 42, 
43. 

Case-hardening.124 

Cash Offer, A.11 

Casing .18 

Cassiterite.60 

Catseye.99 

Celestite.80 

Cements.80, 126 

Cerargyrite.45 

Cerium.81 

Cerussite.47 

Chalcedony.98 

Chalcocite.51 

Chalcopyrite.51 


Chalk.20 

“ French.20, 82 

Chapman, Prof. .30 

Chemical Reactions.. 24-30 

Chemists. 32, 101 

Chert.20 

Chloride of Sodium. . 73, 81 

Chlorination.42 

Chlorine.42 

Chromite.67 

Chromium.30, 95 

Chrysocolla.52 

Chrysoprase....98 

Cinnabar.50, 89 

Clay—China. 76, 77 

Coal.86, 87 

Cobaltite.56 

Cobalt (See Nickel) 

“ Glance... 56 

Color. 24, 25 

Contents.5, 6, 7 

Copper... 24, 30, 36, 50, 89 

“ Ores.51, 52, 53 

“ Nickel.56 

Combining Weights. .. .31 

Conglomerates.15, 19 

Contact Veins.17, 93 

Concentration . .41, 42, 128 

Coral Islands.14 

Core Drills... 108, 112, 113 

Cornish Tin Mines.60 

Corundum.75, 91 

Crooks—Frozen out ... 118 

Cryolite.76 

Crystals.91, 92 

























































INDEX. 


141 


Crystalline Limestone, 21, 
23, 79. 

Crystallization.24, 27 

Cuprite..82 

D akota Tin Mines,60,103 
Dana, Prof. J. D... .27 


Deposits—Ore . 

... .16, 17 

Derbyshire Spar. 

.78 

Describing Mines 

. .112,115 

Diamonds.... 24, 

91, 92, 93 

Diamond Drill, The. . .113 

Diamond Rock.. 

....21, 93 

Diaphaniety. 

.26 

Didymium. 

.81 

Diorite. 

... .20, 55 

Dipneedle. 

.. .66, 108 

Dolerite . 

. 20, 94 

Dolomite. 

,...20, 77 

“ Dolly”. 

.. .39, 40 

Drills. 

.113, 114 

Drybone. 

.62 

Dykes—Trap- 

15, 22, 93 

Dynamite. 

. .90, 108 

C'arth, Thickness of the, 

^ 19. 


Elements, List of 

.. 31, 32 

Emeralds. 

91, 92, 95 

Emery. 


Erubiscite. 

.51 

Eruptive Rocks . 


Explanatory notes,28,30-34 

Exploring.9, 

, 103, 110 


F arming —Risks of... .117 
Feldspar—Common.. 75 


Finds, Value of.10 

Fire-Clay.76, 77 

Fissure Veins.16 

Fleches d’amour.99 

Flexible Sandstone. .21, 93 

Flint.20 

Fluorite.78 

i Fluorspar. 78 

Footwall.18 

Foliated Talc.82 

Folgerite.57 

Fowlerite.78 

Franklinite.67 

Freemilling.. .. 39,40,41 

French Chalk.. 20, 82 

FrueVanners.41, 42 

Fuel, Wood as.. 126 

Furnaces.48, 58, 59 

Fusibility of metals.. .. 125 

abbro.20 

Galena .. .17, 33, 104 

Garnets.91, 97 

Garnierite.57 

Gash-Veins.17 

Gems.91-96 

Gersdorfhte.56 

Glance.44 

Glossary.139-148 

Gneiss. 13, 20 

Gold.30, 35, 115, 116 

“ Ores.35, 36, 116 

“ Native.35 

“ To test for.. 37, 38, 103 
“ “ Dolly ”.89, 40 
















































142 


INDEX. 


Gold,Treatin’t of, 40-42,116 
“ Freemilling Ore.... 41 

“ Value of. 86,89 

Gossan.16 

Granite.13, 20 

Graphite.71, 72, 89 

Gravel — Auriferous 36, 


103, 104. 


Gravity, Specific... 

.24, 121 

Gray Copper. 

.52 

Greenockite. 

.61 

Gypsum. 

.79 


H ardness — Scale of, 24, 
30, 109. 

Hardness — Chapman’s 
Scale, 30. 

Heavy Spar.36, 80 

Heliotrope. 99 

Hematite.65, 89 

‘ ‘ Brown.67 

Horneblende.19, 82 

Horning.41 

Hornstone.20 

Hyacinth.97 

Hydraulic Limestone... 80 

Hydromica Schist.21 

Hydrous Copper Silicate, 
52. 


Igneous rocks. .15, 23, 103 I 

* Illustrations.8 

Indurated Sandstone.... 22 

Infusorial Earth.. .90 

Investor in Stocks. 119, 120 


Iridium.73 

Iridosmine.. .36, 73 

Iron—Ores of.30, 63 

“ Bearing Rocks. .19,36 

Ironstone.67 

Itacolumite.21, 93 


ack’s tin.5 i 

Jasper.21,99 

et.86 

oint Stock Companies, 120 

K aolin. 76 

Kimberly Mines, 93, 94 
“Kit,” Prospector’s, 108,109 

L abradorite.20 

Land Plaster.79 

Lanthanum.81 

Lead.30, 37 

“ Ores .30, 47, 104 

‘ ‘ Silver in.33 

Lepidolite.83 

Lignite.86 

Lime, Phosphate of.. 79, 85 
Limestone.. .15,21,23,79,80 

Limonite.67 

Linnaeite.55 

Lithia.30, 83, 84 

Lithium.84 

Lithographic Stone.80 

Liver Ore.50 

Lodes.16, 99 

Lodestone.27, 67 

Love’s Arrows.99 

Lustre.26 




















































INDEX. 143 


X A ACROSCOPIC.30 

Magnetism.72 

Magnetic Iron Ore.66 

Magnetic Pyrites, 33, 54, 64 

Magnetism.27 

Magnetite... .36, 66, 67, 89 

Malachite.53 

Malleability.26 

Manganese, Ores of, 30, 
69, 89. 

Manganese Spar.78 

Marl.:. 77 

Marble.21, 22, 79 

Matte. 58, 115 

Measuring Water - power, 
123. 

Measures of Ore.121 

Mercury.. 34, 36, 40, 49, 50 
Metals—Weights and Mea¬ 
sures, 122. 

Metals— Fusible point of, 
125. 

Metals, To Temper .124 

Metallic ores.36 

Metamorphic rocks.15 

Mica.19, 38, 83 

“ Schist.14,21,22 

Microscope, The ... .30, 37 

Millerite.55 

Mineralogy, Study of, 13, 
27, 100, 107, 109. 

Mineral Oil.87 I 

Pitch.87 I 

“ Resin.90 j 

“ Wool.88 I 


Mines—“Salted” ___117 

“ How to Develop.. 110 

Miner’s Inch.123 

Mining Dividends.119 

“ Profits of.120 


“ Risks of.. .117, 118 
“ When to begin, 115 
116. 

“ Stocks, 118,119,120 
Mispickel ... .43, 64, 65, 85 
Mohs’ Scale of Hardness, 25 

Molybdenite.70, 71 

Monazite.36, 81 

Moonstone.76 

Moss Agate.99 

Muscovite. .83 

N atural Barometers, 96 
Natural Compass. .67 

Natural Gas.87 

Paints.89 

Niccolite.56 

Nickel.30, 54, 64, 104 

“ and Cobalt Ores.. 54 
Nickeliferous Pyrrhotite, 
54, 55. 

Non-Magnetic Ore.63 

Nuggets.36, 49 

O chres . 67, 89 

Oil-Mineral.87 

Oil of Vitriol.84 

Onyx.99 

Operations—Scale of Min¬ 
ing, 112. 






































144 


INDEX. 


Opals.91, 96 

Ore Deposits, 16, 19, 102, 
104. 

Ores—How to Distinguish 


24-30, 32. 

Ores—Metallic.36 

“ Non-metallic.74 

“ Cubic feet of.121 

“ Measures of... .121 

“ Selling.114, 115 

“ Selecting treatm’t, 116 

Orpiment.85 

Orthoclase.75 

Osmium. ... 73 

Ozokerite—Ozocerite ... 87 


Oaints, Natural. ..89, 90 

* Palladium.72 

Panning.36, 104 

Paraffine.87 

Paystreak.18 

Peat.88 

Petroleum.86 

Phosphate of Lime.79 

Phosphates.60, 82 

Phosphorous...31, 85 

Pitchblende.73, 88 

Placers . .. .16, 36, 39, 103 
Plant, Cost of,. .. .127, 128 

Plaster of Paris.29, 79 

Platinum.28, 30, 49 

Plumbago.71, 72 

Pockets—Ore.17 

Porphyry .. .22 

Potstone.82 


Power, Horse ......... 124 

“ Water.123 

Practical Pointers.106 

Prase.98 

Precious Stones.75, 91 

Preface.3,4 

Prospects .. .9, 12, 110, 111 
Prospecting ... .9, 102, 105 

Prospector, The.9, 111 

Prospector's “ Kit ” . .. 108 

Proustite.45 

Psilomelane.69 

Puddingstone.19 

Pyrargyrite.45 

Pyrite—Iron. .36, 37, 59, 63 
Pyrites—Copper ... .24, 51 
‘ ‘ Magnetic... 33, 64 

“ Tin. 60 

Pyrolusite.69, 70 

Pyrrhotite.33, 64 


UARTZ . 16, 91 

Quartz Gems. .97, 98 
Quartz, Gold. .37, 38, 39, 40 

“ Veins.37 

“ Milling.39, 40 

“ “ Water re¬ 
quired .123 

Quartzite.22, 23 


Quicksilver, 34,36,40,49, 50 


R ailway.110 

Rare Metals.72, 73 

Reagents.28, 29 

Realgar.85 















































INDEX. 


145 


Red Copper Ore.52 

Red Zinc Ore.62 

Refiners.45 

Refining Ores.58, 128 


Retorts. 

....63 

Rhodium. ... 

.... 73 

Rhodochrosite. 

....70 

Rhodonite. 

.... 78 

Rocks, Iron-bearing 

.. .19 

“ Names of... 

.19-22 

How formed, 13, 

14, 15. 

Rock Crystals. 

.. 98 

Rock Salt. 

....81 

Rose Quartz. 

....98 

Route, How to choose a, 

102, 103. 

Rubies. 


Rutile. 

.... 99 

Cai.e, Howto make i 

a, 105, 

° 110, 111. 

Salt, Rock. 

....81 

Samples, Dealer in.. 

...109 

“ Numbering 

...101 

“ Selecting, 101, 109 

* ‘ Quantity to send 

for Assay 

...101 

Sapphires. 


Sard. . 

....98 

Satin Spar. 

.... 79 

Sedimentary Rocks, 

15, 87 

Selenite. 

...79 


Selenium.29, 30 

Selvage. .... 18 


Sepiolite.77 

Serpentine.22, 80 

Shale.75, 77 

Siderite.67 

Silica..88, 97 

Silicate Cotton.88 

Silicified Wood.98 

Silver .. .30, 37, 44. 70, 106 

Smaltite.56 

Smelting.58, 127 

“ Furnaces...58, 59 

Smithsonite..62, 63 

Soapstone. 22, 82 

Sodium.73 

“ Chloride of ....73 

Soft Coal.86 

Spar.16 

Spathic Iron.67 

Specific Gravity, 24, 28,121 

Specular Iron Ore.65 

Sperrylite.49 

Sphalerite.62 

I Stannite.60 

I Steatite..22, 82 

Steel, To temper or weld, 
124. 

j Stephanite.45 

Stibnite.43 

Stock werke. 17 

| Stone Coal.86 

Stones, Precious.91 

Stratified Rocks.15 

I Streak.24, 25, 26 

Stream Tin.59,103 

I Strontia. 30,80,81 





















































146 


INDEX. 


Succinite.90 

Sudbury.49 

“ Nickel Ores. . .54 
“ Platinum Ores..49 

Sulphur.29, 33, 84 

“ Native.84 

Sulphuric Acid.63, 84 

Sunstone. .76 

Syenite.22 

Synonyms.31, 32 

nr 'alc.22, 24, 82 

^ Talcose Schist.22 

Tellurium.36, 72 

Temperature.19 

Tempering Steel.124 

Tetrahedrite.52 

Thorium. . . . . 81 

Tin Ores... .30, 59, 60, 103 

Titanic Acid.33 

Topaz..96, 98 

“ False.98 

Trap.15, 20, 22, 103 

Triphylite.84 

Tripolite.90 

Tufa.94 

Turquoise.95 

U mber. ..89 

Uranium.73, 88 

Useful Tables. 121 


\/ALUEof Gold.35 

* Value of Silver... .47 
Value of a Prospect.. .9, 10 

Vermillion.50, 89 

Veins.16, 18 

“ Contact..17 

‘ ‘ Fissure .. . . 16 

‘ ‘ How to open, 37, 
104, 105. 

‘ ‘ Paying.. 18 

W A1> . 70 

v v Water for Quartz 

milling.123 

Water Power, Calculating, 
123. 

Weights of Ores..121 

“ of Metals, 122, 123 
“ Relative, of Met¬ 
als, 122 . 

“ of Water.123 

“ of Wood as fuel, 
126. 

Whartonite. 57, 81 

Y'itrhjm.81 

7 inc.30, 34, 46. 61, 67 

^Zincite. 62 

Zicorn. 36, 67 








































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Including Alkali with collateral branches. 

Sulphuric Acid, The Manufacture of. By A. G. and 

C. G. Locke. 8vo. 77 constructive plates. Cloth. 21 00 

Alkali Trade, The. By C. T. Kingzett. 8vo. 247 pages. 

23 illustrations. Cloth. 2 50 

History, Products and Processes. Treatment of wastes. 

Metallurgy of Iron, The. By H. Bauerman. 12mo. 523 

pages. 49 illustrations. Cloth. 2 (H) 

Methods of analyses and manufacture of Iron and Steel. 

Quarryman and Contractors Guide. By A. Kirk. 4to. 

147 pages. 160 illustrations. Cloth. 3 00 

Gives prices and estimates. 

Stoneworking Machinery. By M. P. Bale. 12mo. 177 

pages. 40 illustrations. Cloth. 3 50 

Very few books on this subject are published. 


Any Book sent postpaid on receipt of price. The 
M. Rogers Publishing Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 


Gems and Precious Stones of the United States. By G. 

K. Kunz, expert for Tiffany & Co. 4to. Illustrated. 

Cloth. 10 00 

Contains 8 plates in the finest color work executed. 

Plates alone. 5 00 

Lumberman's Handbook of Inspection and Grading. 

24mo. 262 pages. Cloth. 2 25 

Lumberman's Directory. A large 4to. volume of 685 

pages. Cloth. 7 00 

Very valuable to all engaged in the lumber business. 

Mineralogy, Text Book of. By .T. 1). Dana. 587 pages. 

837 illustrations. Cloth. 3 50 

Recommended to the student of Crystallography. 

Mineralogy, Dana’s New System of. By J. D. and E. S. 

Dana. Very large 8vo. 1197 pages. 1425 cuts. 12 50 

The most important treatise ever published in the 
English language on the subject. 

Limestones and Marbles, uses of. By S. M. Burnham. 

8vo. 398 pages. 48 fine chromo lithos. Cloth. 6 (Hi 

Earthy and other Minerals and Mining. By 1). C. 

Davids. 12mo. 336 pages. 76 illustrations. Cloth. 5 00 

Minerals and mining, metalliferous. By D. C. Davies. 

12mo. 438 pages. 148 illustrations. Cloth. 5 00 

A good book on mining. 

Asbestos, its properties, occurrence and uses. By R. 

IT. Jones. 12mo. Illustrated plates. Cloth. 5 00 

The authority on this subject. 

Assaying, a manual of practical. By John Mitchell. 

6lh edition, by Win. Crookes. 8vo. 1000 pages. 201 
illustrations. Cloth. 10 00 

No practical assayer should be without it. 

Assayer’s manual. By Bruno Kerb 8vo. :154 p:iges. 130 

illustrations. Cloth. 3 00 

Among the latest and best books on assaying. 

Assaying, notes on and assay schemes. By P. de P. 

Ricketts. 13th edition. 208 pages. Cloth. 3 00 

An excellent work. 

Blasting rock, explosive compounds, machine drills 

and blasting. By H. S. Drinker. 4to. Cloth. 5 00 

Mining machinery. By G. G. Andre. 2vols. 4to. 182 

plates drawn to scale. Cloth. 15 00 

Prospecting, hauling, mining, hoisting and Metallur¬ 
gical Machinery. 

Accidents in mines. By A. R. Sawyer. 8vo. 3(H) illus¬ 
trations., many colored. Excellent for mine captains. 

Cloth. 7 00 

Comstock Lode, its formation and history. By J. A. 

Church. 4to. Opiates. 13 illustrations. Cloth. 5 00 


W. Thos. Newman 


Expert in Mines 


Prospects or Mines examined promptly, no matter 
where located. 


■Reports, plans, photos, assays, etc. 


to place Mining Properties properly on the market, 
prepared on short notice and accuracy guaranteed. 


Working Tests on all Ores arranged for. 

Surface and underground prospecting and development work 
supervised ; also working plans, and estimates, for opening and 
operating mines, including complete Plants for winning and ie 
ducing ore carefully prepared. 

Diamond Drill Work Contracted for. 

If you have Mining Property send me samples, and full de¬ 
scription, and obtain a business opinion as to probable value. 
Do not waste money on worthless property, nor lose an oppor¬ 
tunity that is valuable. 


Address 


Thos. Newman, 



Toronto, On e., 

Cana da. 


Correspondence desired.-Any information relating to Onta¬ 
rio Mines furnished promptly. 


K 
















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